MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario says he will fly to Syria to oversee the evacuation of thousands of Filipino workers amid escalating violence there.
Del Rosario said Sunday he planned to leave as early as Saturday to seek the help of Syrian officials in ensuring the safety of more than 4,000 Filipinos and get their assistance to immediately evacuate them.
Officials say the Philippine Embassy helped 56 Filipinos to flee Saturday. Nearly 500 Filipinos have fled since a political crisis erupted in Syria in March.
The UN says more than 5,000 people have died as President Bashar Assad's government tried to crush protests.
The Philippines is one of the world's largest labour exporters.
