Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Wednesday ordered Philippine embassy officials in Beirut to evacuate the first batch of 200 overseas Filipino workers out of Lebanon, the local radio DZMM reported.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Stevan Conejos announced the presidential order during a press briefing, said the report.

The overseas Filipino workers will be evacuated by land starting Thursday morning to Damascus, Syria. They will then board a chartered flight for Dubai, the report said.

Some 30,000 Filipinos are working in Lebanon, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

Tens of thousands of foreigners are fleeing Lebanon as the country has been under incessant air strikes by Israeli warplanes for nearly one week.

Source: Xinhua