Philippines prepares for evacuation of Filipinos from Libya, raises alert level

[News_Editor]

Philippines prepares for evacuation of Filipinos from Libya, raises alert level

2011-02-23 05:04:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

TRIPOLI (BNO NEWS) -- The Philippine Embassy in Tripoli on Tuesday raised its alert level and is making arrangements to repatriate Filipinos in Libya who wish to come home in light of protest actions in the country.

In a press conference, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban B. Conejos said that in light of recent events, the alert level in Libya was raised to alert level 3 - voluntary repatriation.

For Filipinos in Tripoli who wish to avail of voluntary repatriation, they are advised to call the Embassy or community coordinators in their area. They are asked remain indoors and not go out alone in the streets.

Those in Benghazi, Al-Baida and other areas are similarly asked to communicate with their sectoral coordinators. They are also advised to stay put and not venture outdoors alone. If their companies have repatriation arrangements, they are advised to join said repatriation efforts.

The Embassy officials and community coordinators are contacting the Filipinos in Libya to inquire about their condition and inform them of the Embassy's voluntary repatriation program.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has dispatched a quick response team from its Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) to Libya to augment the Embassy staff. The team, which departed Tuesday evening, is composed of DFA-OUMWA Executive Director Ricardo Endaya and two other staff.

The DFA also made available an additional US$50,000 to the Embassy, and will further augment it with US$100,000 for the voluntary repatriation program. The Departrment of Labor and Employment has also committed P25 million to assist in the program.

There are around 30,000 Filipinos in Libya - 15,000 in Tripoli, 10,000 in Benghazi and Al-Baida areas and 5,000 scattered in other parts of the country. The majority of them are professionals, skilled and semi-skilled workers.

Libya has been plunged into chaos as massive anti-government protests continue nationwide, resulting in a violent crackdown by security forces which included aerial bombardments on protesters. More than 250 people have been killed, according to most recent estimates by Human Rights Watch.

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