The safety of Filipinos in Ukraine remains the Philippines' "chief and singular" concern amid the rising tensions in the foreign land, the country's top diplomat said.
In a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 23, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. reiterated that Filipinos in Ukraine will not be harmed and will have a safe exit to the nearest border.
"Our chief and singular concern is to take out of harm’s way our fellow Filipinos in Ukraine and bringing them to the nearest places of safety by the fastest possible way," Locsin said.
"Our offer to take Filipinos in Kiev is underway and Undersecretary Sarah Arriola is spearheading the repatriation effort for Filipinos who want to come home,” Locsin added.
READ MORE: 'Filipinos in Ukraine won't be harmed'; safe border exit assured — Locsin
On Feb. 18, six Filipino nationals from Kyiv and Lviv in Ukraine were sent back to the Philippines.
According to the Foreign Affairs department, these are nationals who voluntarily requested to be repatriated to the country.
The department disclosed that a consular team from the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw, Poland has been sent to Lviv, Ukraine to ensure the safety exit of Filipinos.
A two-person team was sent to Ukraine on Feb. 17 to "enable faster coordination with the Filipino community and relevant authorities in the country."
"The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw keeps close coordination with the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv in arranging the repatriation of Filipinos who have chosen to avail of the Philippine government’s voluntary repatriation program from Ukraine," the DFA said.
READ MORE: DFA sends team from Poland to Ukraine to ensure Filipinos' safety