Manila, June 23 -- The Philippine government has assured that contingency measures are in place to safeguard overseas Filipinos as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies, now further complicated by the direct military involvement of the United States.

In a virtual briefing on Sunday night, Philippine diplomats in the Middle East, led by Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos and Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Achilles Mandap of the Philippine Embassy in Israel, said the government is closely monitoring developments.

"As you know, the safety of our nationals, their well-being, they're the primary concern of the Philippine government and we are reacting to these developments to ensure that they are safe," Santos said.

"We are ta...