DFA: No Filipinos in Lebanon hurt so far as fighting intensifies

No Filipinos were reported hurt after the recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday.

“Wala pang nasasaktan dahil sa nangyayari (No one has been hurt because of what is happening),” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

Asked how many Filipinos were affected by the rising tension in Lebanon, De Vega said there are around 100 Filipinos who live near the border where Israeli and Hezbollah forces have clashed.

“Meron malapit doon yung UNIFIL, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, may isang medical worker na Filipina pero protected naman ng UN,” he said.

(There is a Filipina medical worker who is near where the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is located, but she is under UN protection.)

“Malapit doon sa border, maybe an hour away, kilometers away, may mga southern cities —Tyre, Sidon, Nabatieh. Yung mga yan, may mga isang daang Pilipino ang estimate ng embahada at nananawagan sila na lumipat although depende rin yan sa amo nila,” he added.

(Near the border, maybe an hour or several kilometers away, there are the southern cities —Tyre, Sidon, Nabatieh. The embassy estimates that there are about 100 Filipinos there and they are asking to be transferred although this also depends on their employers.)

There are around 12,000 Filipinos across Lebanon, according to De Vega.

A total of 356 Filipinos have been repatriated while over 700 are still awaiting repatriation pending their exit clearance, according to the DFA.

Over the weekend, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon issued an advisory for Filipino citizens in Lebanon to leave the country immediately while the airport is still open.

The Embassy advised all Filipino nationals in Lebanon to prioritize their safety and depart the country “as soon as possible.”

For those who are unable to leave Lebanon, the DFA urged them to evacuate to safer areas outside of Beirut, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.—RF, GMA Integrated News