PH 'working double time' to ensure safety of Filipinos in Israel

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is working «double time» to ensure the safety of Filipinos caught in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants and their repatriation to the Philippines.

«Right now, the situation in Israel is more stable, so efforts are now concentrated on Gaza. The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv along with our embassies in Cairo, Egypt, and Amman Jordan is working double time to ensure the safety of our countrymen, especially those who reside in the Gaza Strip,» said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega during the «Bagong Pilipinas Briefing' telecast over PTV-4 on Friday.

He said that at least 131 Filipinos are now in Gaza as validated by the Philippine Embassy in Amman, 31 of whom have requested repatriation or evacuation to safer ground.

The DFA official added that no one has yet been repatriated since Gaza is under blockade but the Philippine government is working on it.

»We are working with our diplomatic partners to see if humanitarian corridors will be opened and people inside Gaza will be allowed to exit to the border entering Egypt," De Vega said.

De Vega also shared that some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have signified their intention to be repatriated back to the Philippines not because of the war, but because they have already lost their jobs or for economic reasons.