Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ G. Escudero on Monday urged Philippine authorities to reach out to all Filipinos, whether documented or not, living in Israel and Iran who wish to return home and lay down plans for their speedy repatriation in view of the escalating conflict between the two countries.
According to the Senate leader, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) should lead efforts in locating Filipinos in these warring nations and prepare at once plans to get them out of Israel and Iran.
“The DFA and DMW should go the extra mile in locating and reaching out to Filipinos in Israel and Iran to determine who wants to get out of the two countries now,” Senate President Escudero said.
“It doesn’t matter if they are legally staying or undocumented. What is important is that Filipinos who fear for their safety and want to go home are assisted without delay,” he added, citing contingency plans of government agencies that have been in place to deal with incidents such as natural disasters or armed conflicts in areas where a significant number of Filipinos are present.
“Mahaba na ang karanasan ng ating gobyerno sa ganitong mga sitwasyon. May pondo tayo para sa pagpapauwi ng ating mga kababayan tuwing may gulo sa mga bansang kanilang kinaroroonan. Ang mahalaga ay matukoy agad kung nasaan ang mga kababayan natin at alukin ng biyahe pauwi ang mga may panganib sa kanilang buhay,” he explained.
Once repatriated, the Senate President said the DMW should immediately subject the Filipinos, particularly those who were directly affected by the conflict, to stress debriefing.
Those who wish to stay in the Philippines should be provided with guidance on their career options, which the veteran legislator said was critical considering the disruption of their employment in the affected countries.
“It is imperative that repatriated Filipinos who wish to remain in the country are provided with the opportunities and the tools needed to start fresh,” Escudero said.
Last week, Israel carried out attacks on the nuclear and military assets of Iran—actions the former claim were intended to prevent the latter from building an atomic weapon.
Iran, however, responded by launching missiles and air strikes against Israel where an estimated 50,000 Filipinos are residing.
The DFA estimates that there are 2,000 Filipinos living in Iran, some of whom are married to locals.