MANILA – The Philippine government is treading carefully as violence escalates between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, opting for a cautious approach to the potential repatriation of thousands of Filipino workers in the region.
Despite the heightened hostilities, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is not raising the alert level in Lebanon just yet, though the Philippine embassy in Beirut is preparing as if a mass evacuation could soon be underway.
“Since hostilities in Israel and Gaza began in October, we already were calling on them to go home voluntarily. So far only around 500 returned,” said DFA Undersecretary for Migration Eduardo Jose De Vega.
The decision not to immediately declare a mandatory evacuation, or Alert Level 4, is a delicate balancing act, with the DFA weighing the safety of its citizens against the desires of the majority of the estimated 11,000 Filipinos working in Lebanon.
“There’s another camp of OFWs who don’t want the Alert Level 4 to be raised because that would eventually mean they can no longer return to Lebanon if they get repatriated,” said Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary for Middle East Office Marlo Miranda.
With no Filipinos reported injured so far, the DFA is opting to operate “as if we are on Alert Level 4 while still under Alert Level 3” – a calculated move to support those who wish to leave while avoiding a full-blown repatriation that could prevent workers from eventually returning.
The challenge is particularly acute for the estimated 272 Filipinos in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border. But De Vega assured none of them are in the directly targeted areas.
Of the 1,000 Filipinos waiting to return home, 127 are scheduled for repatriation flights from October 11-28, the DFA said.
As the delicate situation unfolds, the Philippine government is urging all parties to work toward de-escalation, citing the welfare of the over 2 million Filipinos across the Middle East.
“Under the principles of international humanitarian law, we don’t want innocent civilians hurt,” De Vega said. “The region has to be stable.”