13 Filipino evacuees from Ukraine welcomed at Poland border

MANILA – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has welcomed 13 Filipino evacuees from Ukraine at the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne Border Crossing Station in Poland.

In a video uploaded in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official Twitter account Sunday morning, Locsin met the Filipino evacuees onboard the bus after a five-hour wait.

He was accompanied by Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Jaime Victor Ledda.

The evacuees were led by Philippine Ambassador to Poland Leah Basinang-Ruiz, who is also overseeing the repatriation of the Filipinos in Ukraine.

“We are on high-alert 24/7 to ensure that Filipinos are safe in this conflict. Our embassies in Poland and Hungary have been working hard these past days to account for each Filipino in Ukraine, and to repatriate them as soon as possible. Our people only need to ask, and we will get them home safe,” Locsin said.

The DFA urged Filipinos in Ukraine to exercise caution and remain vigilant.

It also reminded them to immediately contact the Philippine Embassy team in Lviv or the Consulate General in Kyiv if they need any assistance.