secretary romulo authorizes Philippine Embassy in lebanon 
to raise alert level 3 in wake of heightened security situation  

17 July 2006 — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo authorized the  Philippine Embassy in Lebanon to raise the contingency plan for Filipinos in Lebanon to Alert Level 3, meaning the relocation of all Filipino nationals to pre-designated safe areas. 

“In light of the heightened security situation in Lebanon and upon the recommendation of the Department’s Crisis Management Committee (CMC), I have authorized the Embassy in Beirut to raise Alert Level 3 in Lebanon, meaning Filipinos will now be relocated to safe areas already pre-designated by the Embassy,” Secretary Romulo said, after receiving the regular briefings of the CMC on the situation in Lebanon.   Secretary Romulo is accompanying President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the State Visit to the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.  

On 14 July 2006, Chargé d’Affaires, a. i. (CDA) Walter S. Salmingo of the Philippine Embassy in Beirut reported that the Embassy’s Crisis Management and Security Committee discussed the necessity of raising Alert Level 3 and the need for some Embassy personnel, particularly women staff members and their dependents, to be temporarily accommodated either in East Beirut or in Jounieh in the Christian side, 21 km north of Beirut. 

The Committee likewise decided to initially relocate around 100 OFWs, including the 90 Filipinos currently sheltered at the Embassy’s Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC), to the Church of the Miraculous Medal in Achrafieh in the Christian side, around 8 km from the Embassy. 

Secretary Romulo said that the Department has made representations with Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines H.E. Archbishop Fernando Filoni for the Filipinos in Lebanon to use the Catholic churches and other religious facilities in Lebanon as relocation sites.  The Department has requested Archbishop Filoni to convey the request to the Vatican in Rome.  

Secretary Romulo added, “In accordance with the Embassy’s contingency plan, the  relocation of the OFWs has begun, wherein our countrymen will be moved to areas where the Embassy can ensure their safety such as Catholic parishes and churches.  Embassy-designated Community Mobilizers in different areas of Lebanon have likewise begun to inform the Filipinos under their responsibility of the raised Alert Level.” 

The Secretary assures the public that “the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Labor and Employment will extend every possible assistance to ensure that our nationals are safe from the current security problems in Lebanon.”  

In line with this assurance, Ambassador Roy Cimatu, Head of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Team, is now making arrangements to fly to Lebanon pursuant to the instructions of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “to take measures that will put the Filipinos in Lebanon out of harm’s way.” 

The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) continuously updates the family members in the Philippines of the situation in Lebanon and the status of their relatives there.  

Meanwhile, the DFA-OUMWA has provided the following offices and telephone numbers, which could be contacted by family members of OFWs in Lebanon:  

END 

/jay

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