PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed concerned government agencies to ensure that immediate aid is extended to Filipinos affected by escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran, Malacañang said yesterday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, in a briefing, said government is in “crisis mode” in connection with the developments in the Middle East and has placed “on high alert” the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to ensure that immediate assistance is provided to affected Filipinos.
“The directive of the President to the DFA, DMW and OWWA is to provide immediate assistance to our countrymen. No one is left behind, that is the guidance of President Marcos Jr,” Castro said in mixed Filipino and English.
She said a team has been sent to Israel to check on the condition and need of the Filipinos there while a 24/7 Middle East Help Desk for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) has been set up to receive calls and assist the Filipinos.
There are some 30,700 Filipinos living and working in Israel and at least 1,180 in Iran, mostly married to Iranian nationals.
Castro said there is no need for a forced evacuation order yet, but the Philippines is ready should there be emergency repatriation.
She said aid is also provided to the four Filipinos who were hurt and hospitalized due to Iran’s retaliatory air strike against Israel.
She said two of the injured Filipinos have been discharged while the two remained in the hospital.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said four OFWs in Israel were hospitalized after the attacks from Iran, including one in critical condition.
“Two of them have already been discharged from the hospital. However, there is one in critical condition and another still recovering,” said Cacdac.
Fourteen OFWs in Israel have been displaced, with eight staying in temporary accommodation, five with their employers, and one with a friend, he also said.
“We provided them financial assistance and basic needs assistance,” he said.
Cacdac said there OFWs left stranded in airports in other countries as the hostilities escalated while they were in transit.
“We are helping those stranded in other areas, such as in transit hubs like Dubai. They cannot continue their trip since the airspace of Israel and Jordan have been blocked,” said Cacdac.
Among them, he related, are 18 OFWs stranded in Dubai and were successfully repatriated yesterday.
“The repatriated OFWs received immediate financial support, airport assistance, and other necessary support from the government,” he said.
He said those in the Philippines may call the DMW-OWWA 1348 hotline, while those abroad may dial +632 1348.
The DMW said specific emergency contact numbers of the Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs) in Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan are also available. These are MWO in Tel Aviv: +972 50-7622590; MWO in Beirut: +961 79 110 729; and MWO in Amman: +962 7 8149 1183.
Cacdac said crisis alert levels in Israel, Lebanon, and Jordan are under review, in coordination with the DFA.
Based on Advisory No. 32-2023, Lebanon is under Alert Level 3, which means a total deployment ban is in effect.
Israel is under Alert Level 2, which means only returning OFWs will be allowed to be deployed.
As for Jordan, Cacdac said there is no alert level.
Some 41,000 Filipinos reside in Jordan.
CAREGIVER
A female caregiver in Israel remains in critical condition after sustaining severe injuries after an Iranian missile hit their residence in Rehovot, a city about 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv, in the early hours of June 15, the Philippine Embassy said.
Three other Filipinos sustained moderate injuries in the same missile attack and were taken to the hospital for treatment.
“She remains in critical condition. She sustained severe injuries to her heart and lungs and continues to receive intensive medical care. Her doctors and nurses say they are doing everything they can, but her condition remains life-threatening,” the embassy said, adding a team composed of Consul Patricia Narajos, Vice Consul Teri Bautista and Attaché Josah Agan already visited the Filipina at the Intensive Care Unit of the Shamir Medical Center.
The embassy said two of the three other Filipinos who were injured — a 43-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man — are receiving medical treatment at Kaplan Medical Center. It said the woman underwent surgery while the man sustained injuries to arm and leg.
“The Embassy is coordinating with hospital social workers and the Rehovot local government to ensure that, upon discharge, the victims will be transferred to appropriate shelters, granted their due compensation and benefits, and properly assisted in their recovery,” the embassy said.
EMBASSY CLOSED
The embassy in Tel Aviv will remain “closed until further notice” following recent IDF Home Front Command guidelines which prohibit gatherings and work operations.
“Clients with scheduled passport appointments will be contacted for further instructions,” the embassy said.
It reiterated its appeal to Filipinos in Israel to follow the IDF’s security guidelines and the embassy’s safety advisories.
“The Embassy continues to provide urgent assistance to our kababayan affected by the ongoing conflict. For urgent concerns, the Embassy’s emergency hotline number is +97254-4661188,” it added.
Senate President Francis Escudero asked authorities to reach out to Filipinos in Iran and Israel who wish to return home and come up with a speedy repatriation amid the escalating conflict between the two countries.
“It doesn’t matter if they are legally staying or undocumented. What is important is that Filipinos who fear for their safety and want to go home are assisted without delay,” he said.
Speaker Martin Romualdez asked the DFA and the DMW to do everything to protect Filipinos in Israel and Iran as he called for restraint and renewed diplomacy between the two countries.
“We are watching these developments with grave concern. Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., our foremost priority is the protection of our overseas Filipino workers who may be caught in the crossfire of this dangerous standoff,” he said in a statement. “We expect our frontline agencies to remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring the safety and security of our kababayans, including possible repatriation plans should the situation worsen.”
The Speaker said no Filipino “should be left behind in a time of crisis.”
Romualdez stressed that the Philippine government has always supported diplomatic solutions to armed conflicts and appealed to both parties “to take a step back and allow diplomacy to do its work.”
“This is a time for dialogue, not destruction. Any further escalation will only deepen human suffering and destabilize an already fragile region,” said the House leader, who is vying to retain his post in the incoming 20th Congress.
“This conflict is unfolding in a region that has known too much war and too little peace. The world must not allow another full-blown crisis to erupt,” he said. – With Gerard Naval, Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa and Wendell Vigilia
