More than 700 overseas Filipino workers in Lebanon are seeking the assistance of the government for their repatriation amid the rising tension in the region, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Sunday.

Citing reports from the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo de Vega said a total of 738 OFWs have requested repatriation.

Of the total, De Vega said only 356 have been repatriated; 45 have their papers pending with immigration; and 15 cannot leave because of ongoing court cases.

“Three hundred and twenty-two have withdrawn their applications,” he told DAILY TRIBUNE in a Viber message.

Based on the data provided by Lebanese immigration officials to the Philippine Embassy in Beirut, there are 11,000 OFWs in the Middle Eastern country.

Tense

According to De Vega, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon is closely monitoring the situation and is presently preparing the identified evacuation sites.

“The situation is tense and there is uncertainty as locals and foreigners alike await the unfolding of future events,” he said.

“MWO-Beirut PE is working with Lebanese immigration authorities on the clearances of 40 OFWs who have requested to be repatriated,” he added.

As to whether the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon would recommend raising the alert level, De Vega said the embassy is closely monitoring the situation.

“Beirut PE is validating the numbers of OFWs still residing in the big cities of Southern Lebanon, i.e. Nabatiyeh City, Tyre and Sidon,” he said.

“There are no OFWs residing in border towns near the Blue Line where most of the fighting between the IDF and Hezbollah is taking place,” he added.

In an advisory last Friday, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut “strongly” urged all Filipino citizens to leave Lebanon immediately while the airport remains operational.

“We advise all Filipino nationals to prioritize their safety and depart the country as soon as possible,” the embassy said. “If you are unable to leave Lebanon, we strongly recommend that you evacuate to safer areas outside of Beirut, South Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley.”

De Vega said the advisory “did not intend to alarm anyone but to strongly urge the Filipino community to avail themselves now of the voluntary repatriation program of the government, while there are still flights available.”

“We are highlighting the fact that the safety of those who stay is not guaranteed. The reality though is that of the 11,000 in Lebanon, only 1,000 have indicated their interest to leave (over 300 have already been repatriated to the Philippines since last year),” he said.

Based on the latest report by Al Jazeera, at least 10 people in southern Lebanon were killed by an Israeli strike.

Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said the death toll from the strike in the Nabatieh area included “a woman and her two children” and left five other people wounded, two critically.

Israel’s military claimed that the air force had struck a weapons warehouse of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah overnight “in the area of Nabatieh,” located about 12km (seven miles) from the nearest point to the Israeli border.

Meanwhile, Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assured the public the government is on top of the situation in Lebanon.

“Our lines are open and [we are] ready to provide repatriation service to our countrymen,” Cacdac said, adding they have teams on the ground.

The DFA has said it will not escalate further to Alert Level 4 at the moment as parts of Beirut are calm for now. Cacdac said that the majority of Filipinos are already in Beirut away from the intense conflict.

“These border towns in the south of Lebanon, and north of Israel where there is an exchange of gunfire, between the IDF and Hezbollah, there are no Filipinos,” he said.

The DMW, in coordination with the Embassy in Lebanon, is doing a headcount to determine the number of remaining Filipinos in the southern towns of the country.

The agency likewise advised Filipinos to call the following numbers to avail the repatriation program.

For OFWs (documented or undocumented): +961 79110729, For OFs (Dependents with Permanent Resident Status, i.e., wife iqama): +961 70858086, and for relatives of OFWs in the country, they can call the OWWA hotline 1348 for assistance.