The Manila Times
A TOP Filipino diplomat called for the immediate imposition of Alert Level 4, or mandatory evacuation, as Israeli airstrikes on Beirut put around 15,000 Filipina domestic workers and their families at risk. Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Marlowe Miranda warned over the weekend that the bombardment of Beirut placed around 15,000 Filipina domestic workers and their dependents in grave danger. Speaking on ABS-CBN, Miranda said the situation is rapidly deteriorating, with mass displacement from southern Lebanon swelling the capital and deepening a humanitarian crisis. Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah positions have left more than 2,000 dead and thousands injured. While no Filipino in Beirut had been killed, Miranda warned the conflict could escalate further as rocket exchanges intensify. He urged the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers to begin repatriation immediately — while the airport is still open and land routes to Syria are still passable. Despite the risks, only seven household service workers have so far agreed to return home. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis deepens, with over 2,400 civilians killed and more than one million displaced, many now lacking food, water, and shelter. Reports of attacks hitting ambulances and hospitals — killing over 20 medical personnel — underscore the worsening conditions. The conflict, now reaching Beirut, signals a dangerous escalation that could further endanger civilian populations, including Filipino workers. The Philippine embassy is sheltering undocumented OFWs, as deployment to Lebanon has been banned since 2008. Still, thousands remain trapped in the conflict zone. Migration expert Emmanuel Geslani called on authorities to ramp up voluntary repatriation for 11,000 documented workers and up to 6,000 undocumented Filipinos.
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