PH gov raises alert level to 4 in Ukraine, orders mandatory repatriation

The Philippine government has ordered the mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in Ukraine, raising the crisis alert level to Alert Level 4 (Mandatory Repatriation) due to the worsening conflict.

As of Wednesday, March 9, 2022, a total of 63 Filipinos have arrived back in the Philippines from Ukraine, with another 136 awaiting repatriation.

Of the 199 Filipinos who have been sent back home or are seeking refuge in neighboring countries, six are in Poland, 33 in Moldova, 73 in Romania, nine in Austria, and 15 in Hungary.

Twenty-one Filipino seafarers from the MV S-Breeze vessel have also arrived in Manila after being evacuated to Moldova.

The government will cover all expenses related to the evacuation and repatriation efforts.

Despite the evacuation order, over a hundred land-based Filipinos in Ukraine are refusing to return home due to their jobs or families.

The Philippine Embassy in Poland and a Rapid Response Team are providing assistance to Filipinos leaving Ukraine, and the DFA is coordinating with relevant agencies to extract stranded seafarers.