2 Filipinos from Strife-Torn Iraq Arriving Tuesday — DFA

Manila -– Two Filipino workers were evacuated from Baghdad and will return to the country on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday, as the civil unrest in Iraq intensifies.

Citing the “rapidly deteriorating” security in the Middle East state, Iraq, except its northern region of Kurdistan, was placed by the Philippines under crisis alert level 4, which calls for the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos.

There are 900 workers in Iraq, with 152 working in Baghdad while the rest are based in Kurdistan. However, tensions began to spread in Kurdistan where most Filipino workers are based, the DFA said, prompting Manila on Monday to raise its security warning from level 1 to level 2.

DFA spokesman Charles Jose said Filipinos in Kurdistan are asked to “restrict non-essential movements, avoid public places and take extra precautions” under this phase.

Meanwhile, the two evacuees are already on their way to the Philippines and will arrive at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Jose said.

With the conflict seen to further increase in the coming days, Jose called on the other Filipinos in conflict zones to leave and avail of the free repatriation being offered by the Philippine government should their employers refuse to shoulder their travel expenses.

“We continue to call on Filipinos located in alert level 4 areas to contact the Philippine embassy in Baghdad in order to be repatriated as soon as possible,” Jose said. (PNA) LAM/MDC/UTB