Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a target between the villages of Ghandourieh and Froun in southern Lebanon late on September 6, 2024, amid the ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. Ammar Ammar, AFP

MANILA — Even with the threat of a full-blown war, many Filipino migrant workers are opting to stay in Lebanon, believing that Israel's attacks would be isolated on Hezbollah strongholds.

• World leaders at UN warn against 'full-scale war' over Lebanon

Beirut-based Mie Romagos said that she and many other OFWs decided to forego the Philippine government's offer to fly them back to the country.

• DFA urges families of Filipinos in Lebanon to convince loved ones to repatriate

Of the estimated 10,000 Filipinos in Lebanon, only around 1,500 have availed of the repatriation offer, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

"Sobrang dami pa rin po na ayaw pa rin pong bumalik, kabilang na rin ako don," said Romagos, who has been in Lebanon for the past 13 years and is working in Beirut as a secretary.

She told Teleradyo Serbisyo that most of Israel's airstrikes targeted southern Lebanon, where most of Hezbollah members were allegedly based. 

• Is all-out war inevitable? The view from Israel and Lebanon

"Nandito naman po kami sa Beirut, ang Beirut sa ngayon ay okay naman po. Ang south lang po ang medyo binomba nang sunod-sunod po talaga... Nagbabala naman ang Israel bago sila tumira," she said.

Lebanese authorities told the United Nations that Israeli strikes had killed 558 people -- 50 of them children. 

• Israel warns Lebanese as wave of strikes hits Hezbollah

Romagos said that Filipino community leaders in Lebanon were monitoring Israel's warnings so they could alert OFWs who might be affected by the airstrike.

"Talagang nag-ano kami asan nag-airstrike, chine-check nkung may kababayan kami nandon," she said.

In case the conflict expands to areas such as Beirut, Romagos said she was confident that they could find a shelter for their safety.

• Israel and Hezbollah urged to step back from the brink

"Sana matapos na ito kasi hindi lang naman Pilipino ang naiipit, pati mga nlokal dito, nakakalungkot lang kailangan pa maging ganito," she said.

Israel has signaled its intention to shift focus to Iran-backed Hezbollah after nearly a year of cross-border fire that began in October in what Hezbollah calls support for Hamas Palestinian militants fighting Israel. —With a report from Agence France-Presse

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