Rescuers search through the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike. RABIH DAHER/AFP

The Philippines is prepared to evacuate thousands of Filipinos in Lebanon in the case that Israel's targeted airstrikes on Hezbollah lead to a full-scale war, according to the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a press briefing on Friday (September 27), that the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon is "operating as if Alert Level 4 is already or about to be in place" and has mobilised its resources to prepare for a potential "sudden and wide-scale conflict." "So far mass repatriation is not going to happen yet, partly because the Filipino community is very hesitant to leave," De Vega added. The DFA has maintained Alert Level 3 in Lebanon since last year, which encourages the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos. The authority said it would only raise it to Alert Level 4, the highest level in the tier system if a "full war situation" occurs in the Middle Eastern country. At this alert level, the Philippines will enforce mandatory repatriation of Filipinos and implement a total ban on deployment. It is estimated that up to 11,000 Filipinos are currently in Lebanon, with most living in the capital, Beirut, and surrounding areas while roughly 196 or fewer Filipinos reside in southern Lebanon where Israel's military engages in the most frequent clashes with Hezbollah fighters, according to Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat. The Philippine embassy has urged Filipinos in Lebanon, many of whom are household workers, to remain "on alert" and "ready for a possible mass evacuation," Ambassador Balatbat said. FLE/Expat Media
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