DFA: No Filipino casualties in Gaza; PH working on repatriation

The Department of Foreign Affairs building. (File Photo By JDipterocarpus/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – No Filipino casualties have been reported in Gaza following the deadly war between Israeli forces and the Hamas group, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

In a press briefing at Malacañang, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said there are at least 137 Filipinos living in the area, most of whom are children and spouses of Palestinian nationals.

“Ang ating kababayan so far ay walang casualties or wounded because ang tina-target ng Israel specifically are Hamas targets,” he said. “The Israelis themselves have said that they have been warning civilians in Gaza before they strike particular buildings.”

At least 38 Filipinos, meanwhile, have requested repatriation from Gaza. Of the number, 17 are children between ages 2 to 15.

De Vega said the Philippine Embassy in Jordan, which has jurisdiction over Filipinos in Gaza, is working to process the request.

He noted that extracting the Filipinos from Gaza is “complicated” since there is no international airport in the area and leaving by the sea is not possible due to blockades and absence of a port.

He said the Philippines is considering all possible options to evacuate those who requested assistance.

“There’s always diplomatic initiatives, there are the exit points through Israel or through Egypt, which are heavily guarded by both Egypt or Israel,” he said.

“There are measures now being undertaken so that we could hopefully bring them home as soon as possible,” he added.

The embassy has recommended raising the alert level 3 in Gaza, which means voluntary evacuation is advised.

Crisis management task force

Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron P. Salo on Tuesday filed House Resolution (HR) No.

1369 urging the government to immediately create a crisis management task force to assist affected Filipinos.

Salo, chairperson of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said the task force be jointly led by the DFA and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

He said the task force will also be mandated to closely monitor the evolving situation and to fully prepare contingency plans, including possible repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

To ensure a decisive, holistic and coordinated response of the Philippine government, the members of the task force will include pertinent agencies, including the Department of National Defense, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency, and dedicated diplomatic representatives led by the Philippine Ambassador to Israel and the Labor Attaché in Israel.

He said the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs will also conduct a hearing on Wednesday to assess the current situation in Israel and Gaza.

“The Philippine government is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our Kabayans abroad. We shall provide assistance, guidance, and support to the key agencies as we navigate this challenging period,” Salo said.

The Presidential Communications Office earlier said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed the government to closely coordinate with the embassy in Tel Aviv and the Migrant Workers Office in Israel to help Filipinos affected by the ongoing conflict.

The DMW opened a hotline, Viber and WhatsApp numbers that will accept calls and queries from OFWs and the Filipino community in need of government assistance.