The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday has raised to alert level 2 the situation in Yemen and advised some 2,000 Filipinos to "restrict their movements and voluntary depart" due to the "exponential increase" in mass protests there. In a press conference, DFA Undersecretary for Administration Rafael Seguis said "We are hopeful that the political situation will stabilize. Noneheless, precautionary measures necessary to assure the safety of our Filipinos in Yemen (are in place)." Upon the recommendation thus of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, which covers Yemen as well, the alert level in Yemen has been raised from alert level 1 or "heightened alertness" to alert level 2 or "restriction of movements". The DFA is likewise asking Filipinos in Yemen to:
actively monitor ongoing developments; keep their communication lines open with the Embasy in Riyadh and their community coordinators; inform the Embassy or Filipino community coordinators of their whereabouts; keep an emergency bag ready which contains clothing, water, canned goods and medicine good for two weeks; and have important documents such as passports and money ready. In hoisting the new alert level, the DFA cited the brewing tension in Yemen, particularly the rising number of street demonstrations calling for the ouster of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Aside from this, the DFA cited the fact that majority of the residents in the country are armed. Seguis likewise cited that the President's house has been vandalized by protesters demanding his removal, while 13 members of the parliament have already resigned to date due to the escalating violence. However, Seguis said there is no need yet to raise the country's alert level for Yemen to level 3 or "voluntary repatriation" as what it had raised for Libya. Meanwhile, Seguis assured the public that the Embassy's contingency plan for Yemen is updated, and the Embassy officials have been meeting with Filipino community coordinators and members to brief them on the contingency plans. "An advanced team from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is also in place in the capital Sanaa, and additional officers and staff from the Embassy and the Philippine Consulate Gerneral in Jedah are on standby in case more personnel are needed," he said. In the same press conference, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said there are over 1,600 Filipino workers in Yemen, most of whom are working in oil and gas drilling operations, and are employed as professionals such as engineers. – VVP, GMA News 
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