Amid the demanding schedule at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Laos, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convened a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, directing all concerned government agencies to mobilize resources for the safe and timely repatriation of Filipinos affected by the crisis in the Middle East.
“We are now going to evacuate our people by whatever means – by air, or by sea,” President Marcos said during the Zoom meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
“And, just make all the preparations so that malapit na lahat ng asset natin. Kung may barko tayong kukunin, nandiyan na malapit na sa Beirut na sandali lang basta’t the Embassy gives us the clearance and they say that our people can go, mailabas na kaagad natin so that hindi sila naghihintay ng matagal in danger areas,” he added.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año was also present during the meeting.
“We are going to have to evacuate them. Now, the means by which we will do that is something that we still have to determine because it is an evolving situation. So, bantayan na lang natin,” President Marcos told the Cabinet Secretaries.
The President’s remarks followed Secretary Teodoro’s update that while the government is prepared for the repatriation, they are awaiting clearances from Lebanon before proceeding with it.
Teodoro said repatriation will start once they get all the necessary exit clearance.
“We’re ready, willing and able [to repatriate Filipinos] at any time. We’re just waiting for the diplomatic clearances of the expatriates to be processed out of Beirut,” Teodoro told President Marcos when asked about the timeline on repatriation efforts.
Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat told President Marcos all available measures will be exhausted to expedite the exit clearances, enabling the government to proceed with the repatriation.
Israeli warplanes launched over 30 overnight air raids on the southern suburbs of Beirut on Oct. 6. As of Oct. 7, there are no reported injuries or casualties among Filipinos since the airstrikes are focused in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
In response to the escalating tensions, the alert level in Lebanon was raised from Level 2 to Level 3 in October 2023, prompting the government to initiate the repatriation of Filipino nationals. The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is mobilizing resources to prepare for a potential widespread conflict.
As of Oct. 8, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut has received 1,721 applications for repatriation, with 511 already repatriated and 171 ready for repatriation.
Financial assistance of PhP150,000 from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were given to each of the repatriated OFWs through the DMW AKSYON Fund and the OWWA Emergency Repatriation Fund.
Reintegration assistance from the DMW and OWWA was also extended along with psychosocial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and medical assistance from the Department of Health (DOH).
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also distributed training vouchers to the repatriated OFWs. | PND
