Citing the deteriorating security situation there, the Philippine government on Tuesday raised the alert level in South Sudan to "3," calling on Filipinos there to avail of voluntary repatriation.
The Departments of Foreign Affairs and Labor and Employment also put in place a deployment ban immediately.
"For prudence's sake, we have raised crisis alert level 3 in South Sudan in light of escalating violence in the capital where most of our nationals are located. We are ready to move our people out, should they wish to leave," DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said.
The DFA said there are 150 Filipinos in South Sudan, mostly in construction companies, with the United Nations and in non-governmental organizations.
Under crisis alert level 3, voluntary repatriation at the government's expense will be offered to Filipinos who wish to leave South Sudan.
For now, the DFA advised Filipinos not to travel to South Sudan.
The DFA also instructed the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, which has jurisdiction over South Sudan, to implement the voluntary repatriation program.
Meanwhile, the Embassy is also dispatching a consular/assistance to nationals (ATN) mission to South Sudan to further validate its contingency plan and to provide assistance to Filipinos who wish to leave.
"According to the Embassy, the area of violence is confined to villages in the border area between Sudan and South Sudan. The latter recently won its independence from the former in July 2011," the DFA said. - VVP, GMA News