Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday said the Philippine government is prepared to repatriate Filipinos impacted by the Middle East crisis but is currently awaiting exit clearances from Lebanon.
During a Zoom meeting with President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Teodoro said repatriation would start once the government gets all the necessary exit clearances.
“We’re ready, willing, and able [to repatriate Filipinos] at any time. We’re just waiting for the diplomatic clearances of the expatriates to be processed out of Beirut,” Teodoro said.
Marcos gave a directive to concerned agencies to mobilize resources for the safe and timely repatriation of Filipinos affected by hostilities in the region.
As of October 7, the Philippine Communications Office (PCO) reported no injuries or casualties among Filipinos due to airstrikes in southern Lebanon.
The Philippine Embassy has received 1,721 repatriation applications, 511 of which have already been repatriated and 171 of which are being prepared for repatriation. It was earlier reported that flight cancellations delayed the repatriation of over a dozen Filipinos in Lebanon.
