1,400 Filipinos seek repatriation

MORE THAN 1,400 Filipinos in the Middle East have requested repatriation amid escalating conflict, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said on Tuesday.

The government received the highest number of repatriation request from Dubai, where 586 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) expressed intentions to come home. This is followed by Israel (297), Abu Dhabi (270), Bahrain (231), and Jordan (22).

“The problem is, no planes are flying. And the airports are already being hit,” he told reporters in mixed English and Filipino in a briefing.

“Our assessment is that it may be dangerous to fly. Even if we could secure a plane and bring it in, we cannot do anything because, number one, the airports are closed. They are all no‑fly zones. This is a combat area.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli government said it will respect the decision of OFWs who will seek repatriation, its envoy to Manila said on Tuesday.

“I imagine that not many will decide to repatriate, but if they do, we, of course, we will respect that,” Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Dana Kursh told a news briefing.

The United States and Israel conducted a coordinated strike on several of Tehran’s military assets over the weekend, aimed destroying Iran’s nuclear weapons development program, Reuters reported.

In retaliation, Iran had launched several missile strikes to countries hosting US military bases, including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

She added that the Israeli government is looking to open up more employment opportunities for OFWs once the conflict with Iran comes to an end.

“We are trying to explore options for maybe construction or agriculture,” Ms. Kursh said. “Once things calm down, the travel alert that the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) has put, which is travel alert number two, will be lifted and we can continue on the discussion of how to build more jobs in Israel.”

The Philippines currently maintains Alert Level 2 over Israel, which restricts non-essential travel. Filipinos there have also been advised to avoid public places and prepare for possible evacuation.

The envoy assured the Israeli government will continue to ensure the safety of Filipinos by providing shelters and constant information sharing campaigns.

“What we are trying to do is every Filipino is aware where is the need of shelter, what he or she can do if they are outside and they need to find shelter,” she said. “We are all making sure that the OFWs are feeling secure in Israel.”

There are about 30,000 Filipinos currently residing in Israel, according to the DFA. — Adrian H. Halili