Philippines readies for to evacuation

The Philippines is preparing to evacuate thousands of Filipinos working in the Middle East as regional tensions rise following the killing of a top Iranian commander by the United States. About 2.3 million people from the Philippines are working in the Middle East as domestic helpers, construction workers, engineers and nurses. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the armed forces to prepare air and naval assets for the evacuation of Filipinos in Iraq, Iran and nearby Arab countries, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said on Tuesday.