NEARLY a week since war between Iran and Israel started, close to 200 Filipinos in Israel and 14 in Iran are seeking repatriation, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
In a press briefing, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said of the 178 overseas Filipino workers seeking repatriation, 28 are “now travel-ready.”
“In Iran, there is an ongoing effort to assist 14 OFWs,” he added.
Cacdac said the number of those who want to come home is expected to continue increasing as the situation in the region escalates further.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said of the 178 Filipinos requesting repatriation, 26 will be the first to be repatriated because their passports are ready, and they will leave via Jordan.
De Vega said 14 Filipinos from Iran will be repatriated to Manila through Turkmenistan. Another alternative is via sea from Israel to Cyprus and Iran to Turkey but this mode will be used only if the situation further worsens.
There are around 30,700 Filipinos legally living and working in Israel and at least 1,100 in Iran.
Cacdac said he and Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi are set to fly to Beirut in Lebanon and then to Amman in Jordan to lead efforts to aid Filipinos affected by the crisis.
On their return, they will be provided “all the necessary assistance and support” including P75,000 from the DMW and P75,000 from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), he said.
Cacdac also said the DMW has directed recruitment agencies to closely monitor the status of the OFWs they have deployed, including maintaining active communication with employers and foreign partners to verify the location and safety of deployed workers.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer said there is yet no need to implement a mandatory evacuation as the situation has yet to reach the stage where the department will raise Alert Level 4, which calls for mandatory evacuation.
“Alert Level 4 is full mandatory evacuation but we have not reached that stage. It is only issued if there is a full-scale civil conflict or unrest or full-blown external attack,” Ferrer told the “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” forum.
“You may argue that there was a full-blown attack from Iran on Israel but the assessment will come from the ambassador on the ground,” he added.
Iran is under Alert Level 1, while Israel is under restricted level.
In the same forum, De Vega said the DFA will start the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos.
“We expect that today (Thursday), the secretary of the DFA will sign the order for voluntary repatriation,” he said.
He said voluntary repatriation from Israel actually started in October 2023 following the attack by the Hamas group on Israel, which triggered a ferocious response from Israel.
Since October 2023, De Vega said, more than 1,300 Filipinos have been repatriated.
EVACUATED
Twenty-one Filipino officials who were stranded in Israel were safely evacuated to Jordan, the DFA said.
“The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv actively coordinated with the Philippine Embassy in Jordan, relevant authorities, and made the necessary representations with the Israeli government in support of this mission,” the DFA said.
The DFA said Amman embassy officials have coordinated with Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jordanian Border Security to secure clearances for the Filipinos.
From Jordan, the Filipino officials will proceed to Dubai where they will board a flight to Manila, said Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola-Rau.
The group includes several mayors and vice mayors who attended an agricultural technology training that started on June 10 while the rest are dairy farm specialists of the Department of Agriculture.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros urged government to encourage Filipinos in Israel and Iran to immediately return home.
She said it is better for Filipinos to be sent home since no one can predict when the war will end.
“Considering the potential number of Filipinos who may have to be evacuated from the region if this escalates, the government has to start organizing and making sure contingency plans are in place. Filipinos living in Israel and Iran must be brought to safety immediately,” she said. – With Raymond Africa
