Philippines places Gaza under Alert Level 3, asks Filipinos to return home
THE DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday placed Gaza under Alert Level 3, as it asked Filipinos there to consider coming home amid the worsening war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants.
“Gaza Alert Level 3, which was declared yesterday, means the government is calling on Filipinos to consider repatriation on a voluntary basis,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose A. de Vega said in a WhatsApp message.
«We are using diplomacy to find a way to get them to exit Gaza,» he added, citing a blockade in Gaza that is impeding their exit.
There is no repatriation call yet for Filipinos in Israel, which was still under Alert Level 2, he added.
Hamas militants backed by a barrage of rockets stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens in a surprise attack on Saturday.
A stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”
Mr. De Vega on Tuesday said there were more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel and 137 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip.
He noted that Filipinos in Gaza are not overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) but are married to Palestinians.
On Wednesday, Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro R. Laylo, Jr. said at least two Filipinos died when Hamas attacked at the weekend. Both were caregivers.
He earlier said the Philippine Embassy in Israel would not recommend raising the highest alert level that would pave the way for mandatory repatriation, noting that Israeli troops have retaken some areas attacked by the Palestinian Islamist group.
In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Israeli Embassy to the Philippines Esty Buzgan said there is no plan to lift the blockade in Gaza yet, citing concerns about more Hamas militants entering Israel.
“We need the Philippines’ support and so far, Filipinos in Israel are safe since our army and law enforcement are monitoring terrorists hiding in Israel,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday said it has provided psychosocial and other forms of assistance to at least 120 OFWs caught in the crossfire.
At a virtual press briefing, Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac said the agency is also working on bringing back the remains of the two Filipinos who died.
He said 22 OFWs in Israel were still awaiting approval for their repatriation. Nineteen of them are caregivers and three are hotel workers.
Filipino hotel workers would still be deployed to Israel in the absence of a deployment ban, he said on Tuesday.
The DMW earlier said 313 Filipinos said they were safe. “We will even take the extra step of also making sure that relations between Filipino employees and their employers in Israel are harmonious, bearing in mind their safety.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Medel M. Aguilar earlier said the military was ready to deploy air assets to rescue Filipinos if the conflict worsens.
About a third of the more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel live in Tel Aviv, according to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Arnell A. Ignacio.
A fifth live in the central district, 12% live in Israel’s third-largest city Haifa and 6.4% are from the northern district.
A tenth of the Filipinos live in the capital Jerusalem, while 5.3% live in the southern district, which is near Gaza.
Mr. Ignacio also said 90% of Filipinos in Israel work as caregivers, 8% are permanent residents, 497 are student-interns and 19 are tourists. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
