Over 200 Filipinos in Israel, Iran seeking repatriation
A total of 223 Filipinos in Israel and eight in Iran have requested repatriation after the United States joined the escalating war between Tel Aviv and Tehran on Saturday night (Sunday morning, Manila time).
Meanwhile the Philippines joined the call among world leaders for the United States, Israel and Iran to “take the path of diplomacy” and refrain from further escalating hostilities.
Of the 223 Filipinos in Israel who have asked for assistance in returning home, 26 are scheduled for repatriation on June 23. Three other Filipinos are in Amman, Jordan, and one is in the West Bank.
A second batch of 33 Filipinos are set to follow suit, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a press conference at the Philippine Embassy in Amman on Sunday night.
“We’re still confirming a number around 55 and [as for] the rest, we are still trying to confirm whether they indeed really want to come home. Some of them admittedly are having second thoughts. But 33 stand to be the second batch [of repatriates] and counting,” Cacdac told reporters.
Essential activity status
Based on data from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are 30,742 Filipinos in Israel and 1,180 in Iran.
The Philippine Embassy in Israel on Sunday urged Filipinos there to stay home and to prepare to go to a shelter, safe room, or “mamad” in case of a missile alert, after the Israel Defense Forces placed the entire country under essential activity status.
This means classes in all educational institutions are suspended, all forms of gatherings are prohibited, and work is suspended except for those providing essential services.
“The Embassy strongly advises all Filipinos in Israel to stay inside their homes and be ready to take shelter in a bomb shelter, safe room, or mamad in case of a missile alert,” it said.
Still alert level 3
The DFA earlier raised the alert level in both Israel and Iran to alert level 3, which calls for voluntary repatriation.
Asked if the government intends to raise the alert level following the involvement of the United States in the conflict, the officials at the press briefing said the question should be addressed to the DFA.
“We rely on the DFA in terms of raising the alert level. So we will depend on the political security expertise of our dear colleagues at DFA,” Cacdac said.
He gave assurance that on-the-ground assistance for affected Filipinos was ongoing, including the provision of food and financial aid, temporary shelters, hospital visits and monitoring of the injured.
Philippine Embassy in Israel Consul General Anthony Achilles Mandap, who was also at the briefing, said that upon the DFA’s announcement placing Israel under alert level 3, authorities disseminated the details of the repatriation program to all Filipinos there through the help of Filipino communities.
“Basically, this information is crowdsourced. Our Filipino community has been a big help. They serve as a kind of link to the embassy. Requests are sent through them, and then the Filipino community relays those to us. That’s how we get their names and phone numbers,” Mandap explained.
“That way, we can contact them one by one and prepare them for their evacuation, for joining the repatriation. So it’s a whole community effort. That’s how we’re doing it,” he added.
‘Diplomatic solution’
In a statement on Sunday the DFA said: “The Philippines is greatly concerned over the developments in the Middle East in these last few hours. We strongly urge concerned parties to take the path of diplomacy and avoid further escalation of this conflict that could threaten regional and international peace and security.”
“The Philippines continues to reiterate the need for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to this crisis,” it added.
Emergency hotlines
“The welfare and safety of Filipinos in the region are of primordial concern, and the Philippine government will relentlessly continue to advance and prioritize their protection,” the DFA said, adding that Philippine embassies in the region are prepared to provide help to all those affected.
The DFA earlier provided the contact numbers of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Filipinos can reach it through the 24/7 Hotline Emergency Number (+989 12 213 6801) while the email address is tehran.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
Filipinos in Israel who wish to be repatriated with the assistance of the Philippine government are advised to coordinate with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, via the 24/7 Hotline Emergency Number (+972 54 466 1188) or through emailing telaviv.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
