MANILA, Philippines — Around 400 Filipinos in Lebanon are expected to be flown to the Philippines next week following the deadly explosion that rocked the Port of Beirut, a Philippine envoy said on Friday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has already charted a repatriation flight scheduled for next Sunday, August 16.
The flight, the DFA said in a statement, also seeks to bring home the remains of the Filipinos who were killed in the Beirut port blast.
In an online town hall meeting, Philippine Embassy in Beirut Charge D’ Affaires Ajeet-Victor Panemanglor said 230 Filipinos have already secured their exit visas and are scheduled to be flown home while 170 more have expressed desire to be repatriated.
Panemanglor said the embassy is currently processing the documents of the 170 Filipinos.
“Hopefully, we can fly out around 400 [Filipinos] sa susunod na linggo [next week],” he added.
The DFA earlier said four Filipinos were reported to have died in the explosion while 31 have been injured. One Filipino remains missing.
There are approximately 33,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, 75 percent of them in the Greater Beirut area.
For additional information regarding the chartered repatriation flight, the DFA advised Filipinos in Lebanon to contact the embassy through the following:
Telephone:
+961 3859430
+961 81334836
+961 71474416
+961 70681060
+961 70858086
E-mail: beirutpe@gmail.com
Facebook: Philippine Embassy in Lebanon
The DFA said it began its repatriation activities in order to arrest the “worsening” condition of Filipinos in Lebanon due to economic woes even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said the department has repatriated at least 1,508 Filipinos from Lebanon since December 2019.
“When COVID-19 struck, the DFA moved to provide assistance to our overseas Filipinos in the country,” she added. [ac]