President Marcos mobilized key government agencies on Wednesday to ensure the safe and timely repatriation of Filipinos affected by the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
In a Zoom meeting held during his participation in the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summit in Laos, the President instructed officials to prepare all necessary resources for the evacuation.
“We are now going to evacuate our people by whatever means—by air, or by sea,” President Marcos told Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
The President emphasized the need for swift action, instructing agencies to position evacuation assets, such as ships, near Beirut to ensure quick responses once diplomatic clearances are secured. “We need to minimize waiting times for our citizens in dangerous areas,” he stressed.
The meeting followed an update from Teodoro, who confirmed that while preparations are underway, repatriation efforts are pending clearance from Lebanon.
“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,” he told President Marcos.
Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat assured the President that all measures are being taken to expedite the process, especially as tensions rise in Lebanon.
Recent Israeli airstrikes in southern Beirut prompted the Philippine government to raise Lebanon’s alert level to 3, initiating immediate repatriation efforts.
As of October 8, the Philippine Embassy in Beirut received 1,721 repatriation applications. So far, 511 Filipinos have already returned home, with 171 more ready for evacuation.
