Pilgrim house to shelter Filipinos in Israel

THE Philippine Embassy in Israel is finalizing arrangements with a pilgrim house in the Jewish state to serve as temporary shelter, if the need arises, for distressed Filipinos amid the Hamas-Israeli war.

«The pilgrim house is also home to a community of Filipino Benedictine sisters who are ready to provide psychosocial care and minister to the spiritual needs of our distressed kababayan (fellowmen),» the embassy said on Facebook.

On October 28, the embassy's Vice Consul Teri Adolf Bautista met with Georg Röwekamp, director of the Tabgha Pilgerhaus, a pilgrim house on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

The embassy officials proposed to Röwekamp the opening of the Pilgerhaus to Filipinos in northern Israel «should they need temporary shelter.»

The embassy staff also met with Fr. Koubrianos Koubrianos of Saint Joseph Latin Church to discuss the possible use of the parish's community center as a temporary shelter and assembly area for Filipinos in the Haifa region in case of a general evacuation.

Bautista and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Officer Dina Ponciano visited Haifa to provide emergency financial assistance to Filipinos living in the city.

They also traveled to Ibtin and Krayot to provide financial assistance and inquire on the Filipino community's (Filcom) plans and arrangements for possible evacuation.

The two officials then went to Moshav Ben Ami outside Nahariya to visit an Agrostudies trainee recuperating after surgery.

He is staying in the home of the Payner family, where Filcom leader Jo Dibdiban is working.

Philippine Ambassador to Tel Aviv Pedro Laylo Jr. on October 26 visited the Filipino Agrostudies trainees assigned to the Danziger flower farm in Nir Tzvi. He wanted to personally check the status of the trainees amid the security situation in Israel.

«The trainees shared that their safety and daily needs are well taken care of by their host company. They also demonstrated the advanced floriculture techniques that they are learning on the farm,» the embassy said.

Laylo assured the trainees that the embassy and Agrostudies prioritize their safety and are working together to ensure their security and well-being.