MANILA -- The Philippine Embassy in Israel assured the families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Philippines that the government is closely monitoring the safety of their loved ones amid the ongoing conflict between the Israeli forces and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
“We take this opportunity to assure not just our kababayan here in Israel, but also their families there in the Philippines who we know are anxious to find out how their loved ones are coping in this difficult time,” Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro Laylo Jr. said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday.
Laylo said they are closely working with Israeli authorities to locate the OFWs and Filipino community affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict as he assured them that the Israeli military has already retaken control of the communities infiltrated by the militant group.
“Despite sporadic rocket attacks and the distressing images, you see in the news and on social media, these depict only certain areas in Israel particularly in areas surrounding the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has retaken control of the communities infiltrated by Hamas militants,” Laylo said.
“Rocket attacks have considerably lessened except in Southern Israel. People can move freely in areas far from the combat zone and we have returned to work here at the embassy since Sunday,” the official added.
As the conflict continued, Laylo asked for understanding as they could not yet immediately extend assistance to the victims due to strict travel restrictions enforced by the Israeli government, but assured them that they had established protocols for anyone who wished to be evacuated.
He also emphasized that the embassy’s Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and a team from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) are continuously providing assistance to evacuated Filipinos taken to safer ground.
He said that the MWO-OWWA teams have been working tirelessly since the onslaught of the Israel-Hamas conflict to ensure that all Filipinos are accounted for and that those affected are given medical emergency assistance. (PND)
