Senator Raffy Tulfo on Sunday urged Filipinos currently staying in conflict-affected areas in Lebanon to evacuate amid the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah.

This, as the lawmaker lamented that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is facing a huge challenge in repatriating Filipinos from Lebanon due to the canceled outbound flight  in Beirut’s capital city.

“As a chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, I am currently coordinating with the DMW, Department of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to ensure that our fellow Filipinos who availed of the voluntary repatriation will be kept safe pending their return to the Philippines,” Tulfo said.

Citing government records, Tulfo disclosed that at least 430 overseas Filipino workers (OFW) with their 28 dependents have been successfully repatriated from Lebanon.

“That’s because of the joint efforts of the DFA, DMW, and OWWA,” said the lawmaker.

He added that while the situation status in Lebanon remains under Alert Level 3, he is appealing to all Filipinos to consider leaving Lebanon in “these trying times.”

“You may evacuate if possible and coordinate with the government to speed your return home,” said Tulfo, adding that the government and OFWs should not wait for the Israel-Lebanon conflict to worsen further before they decide to be repatriated.