The Philippine foreign secretary has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in Syria and called on its government to ensure the safety of foreign nationals. About 17,000 Filipinos work in the Middle Eastern country.

Albert del Rosario urged Syria on Monday to do its utmost to stop the violence, address the people's concerns and immediately implement reforms.

The Philippine government has urged its citizens to leave Syria. The country's government reportedly used gunboats Sunday to crush an uprising against Bashar Assad's regime in Latakia city, killing 25 people.

The Philippines, one of the world's largest labor exporters, has been closely monitoring large numbers of Filipino workers caught in the conflicts that have been sweeping the Arab world.