The Philippine government has decided not to raise the alert status in Lebanon to Alert Level 4 despite the tensions escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said.
Department of Foreign Affairs Deputy Assistant Secretary Marlowe Miranda yesterday said there’s still no need to raise the alert level to a maximum as, at the moment, there seems to be no urgent need to evacuate all Filipino nationals. “There’s no need to raise the alert level to 4… the very highest [level],” Miranda said yesterday at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, referring to the critical status that would require the mandatory evacuation of all Filipino nationals.
If Alert Level 4 is raised, this would automatically prompt the Philippine government to intensify and compel the repatriation of some 17,000 OFWs in Lebanon, most of whom are engaged in various domestic and service industries. However, Miranda said the present repatriation being undertaken by the Philippine Embassy in Beirut is already as potent as if the country were placed under Alert Level 4 since coordination concerning the evacuation process of Filipinos has been heightened for safety.
Lebanon remains at Alert Level 3, which permits voluntary repatriation. Under this standing, Filipinos can opt to go back to the Philippines at government expense but are not required to.
Miranda also mentioned the concern the OFW communities were disputing within the declaration of Alert Level 4. “There’s another camp of OFWs who do not want to raise Alert Level 4 kasi eventually hindi na sila makakabalik sa Lebanon ‘pag napa-repatriate sila.”
With the situation still tense along the Lebanon-Israel border, DFA said it is closely monitoring developments on the situation. There is preparation on the part of Philippine officials based in Beirut to intensify evacuation measures should the situation worsen. Meanwhile, the process for voluntary repatriation remains in place, and the government stands ready to assist those who wish to leave.
For its part, Lebanon has long been one of the favorites of OFWs, particularly in domestic workers and caregivers, whose potential escalation of violence has put the community here in an ambivalent situation, weighing between safety and economic necessity.
The DFA continues to remind Filipinos in Lebanon to remain vigilant and adhere to the safety measures declared by the Philippine Embassy, and it is ready for further updates on this potentially exacerbated situation.
