MANILA, Philippines--Evacuation plans are in place for Filipinos in Georgia should the fighting in South Ossetia escalate, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said Sunday.

The 60 Filipinos recorded as working in Georgia are far from the clashes that have broken out between Russian and Georgian forces, the department said, quoting its embassy in Turkey, which has jurisdiction over Georgia.

Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim Guinomla said that Filipinos had been instructed to cross over to Turkey if the violence reaches them.

"We have already informed Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the possible evacuation of the Filipinos if the situation worsens," he added.

Eight million Filipinos, or nearly 10 percent of the country's population, work abroad in scores of countries. Remittances they send home are a major pillar of the domestic economy.