Philippines lowers alert level for Yemen to level 2

The Department of Foreign Affairs said today that President Benigno S. Aquino III approved its recommendation to lower the alert level in Yemen from alert level 4 (mandatory repatriation) in Sana'a and Alert Level 3 (voluntary repatriation) in the rest of Yemen, to alert level 2 (restriction phase) for the entire country.

The DFA promptly informed the Department of Labor and Employment and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board of this development immediately after it was informed of the President's approval of the recommendation.

"We anticipate that with the lowering of the alert level, the redeployment of returning overseas Filipino workers to Yemen will now be allowed. We also anticipate that Yemen-based OFWs, who wish to return to the Philippines for a vacation, will be allowed to return to Yemen," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said.

The lowering of the alert level will not cover the deployment to Yemen of newly hired OFWs.

The DFA expects that the POEA Governing Board will issue a new resolution that will allow the deployment of returning OFWs to Yemen.

The DFA raised alert level 3 on the whole of Yemen on May 24 and alert level 4 in Sana'a on June 6, and asked Filipinos who wish to avail of the Embassy's repatriation facility to leave the country due to the politico-security situation there. - Official Gazette — ARA