The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has renewed its call for Filipinos in Lebanon to return to the Philippines while commercial flights are still available, amid rising tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.
A series of explosions, attributed to tampered pagers allegedly belonging to Hezbollah members, rocked Lebanon earlier this week, killing 12 and injuring thousands. The blasts were reportedly followed by another wave of attacks, killing 20 more people. Though no Filipinos were harmed, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega urged caution, advising Filipinos to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.
Since the Alert Level 3 advisory was issued last year, more than 500 of the 11,000 Filipinos in Lebanon have returned home, while others remain to keep their jobs. De Vega emphasized the importance of returning now, warning that airport closures could force future evacuations via sea routes.
The DFA also hinted at the possibility of raising Lebanon’s crisis alert to Level 4, which would mandate the repatriation of Filipinos should the situation deteriorate further into a full-scale war.