THE Philippine government this week has conducted a site inspection in Masnaa, Lebanon’s border with Syria, to further improve the country’s repatriation efforts and readiness in times of emergencies.
DFA Office of Public Diplomacy officer-in-charge director Geronimo Suliguin said the site inspection trip is also part of the embassy’s continuing program in strengthening its contingency plan and further improve its delivery of Assistance-to-Nationals services.
“The primary reason for the site inspection trip is to keep improving our Post’s operational readiness in times of emergencies like repatriation of our nationals,” he added.
Masnaa, Lebanon serves as the primary transit point used by the Philippine Embassy in Beirut and the Philippine Embassy in Damascus in facilitating the repatriation of Filipinos returning from Syria to the Philippines.
In 2012 to 2013, the joint repatriation operations by the two Philippine Embassies brought home almost 5,000 OFWs at the height of the Syrian conflict.
Embassy personnel were briefed by the border management officers on the daily operations at the border.
During the briefing, the Embassy team was informed that Masnaa border receives an estimated 5,000 visitors from Syria and processes the exit of some 2,000 to 3,000 visitors from Lebanon every day.
Consul General to the Lebanese government Bernardita Catalla and the Embassy officers were also given a quick tour and an opportunity to observe the operations of the border immigration facilities.
The site inspection trip is part of a continuing program of the Philippine Embassy in Beirut to enhance its personnel’s security consciousness and to familiarize them with the strategic areas in Lebanon, and to establish contacts with local authorities in these areas.
The program also aims to gather more information on the ground to generate useful insights that will strengthen the Embassy’s Contingency Plan and further improve its delivery of Assistance-to-Nationals services.
Embassy personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration participated in the site inspection.