The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday called on Filipinos in Lebanon to go home while the Beirut airport is open and before the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah gets worse.

“We raised Alert Level 3 (in Lebanon) because we want to be able to start the repatriation of the Filipinos early. So the embassy activated the repatriation program,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told dzBB.

“That doesn’t mean we are forcing them. We are just advising them that while it’s early, they should go home because the situation may get worse and there could be a war. Since Hezbollah comes from the south of Lebanon, they are attacking Israel. Maybe later, Israel might attack Lebanon,” he added.

“It’s still easy to leave now…while there is a ticket, while the airport in Beirut is still open,” he said.

De Vega said more than 17,000 Filipinos are residing in Lebanon, while 100 Filipinos, 20 of whom are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) live in the West Bank between Jordan and Israel.

According to De Vega, it was easier to evacuate Filipinos to Jordan but they are having difficulty evacuating those in Gaza because the border in Egypt has not yet opened.

“Our problem is in Gaza. Because in Gaza, it’s not just Filipinos, but also the world community that is expecting to evacuate foreigners out of Egypt. Until now, it’s not happening. I hope this ends,” he said.

“I hope within today, or as soon as possible, it opens because our countrymen there are ready to go home,” he added.

Tensions between Israel and Hezbollah began on October 7, the same day when Hamas launched an attack against Israel. Jaspearl Tan/DMS