MANILA — Despite hostilities in the Middle East, majority of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Israel are opting to stay rather than return to the Philippines, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega revealed that out of nearly 300 Filipinos who initially signed up for government-assisted repatriation, only 50 confirmed their intent to come home — and just 20 will actually be flying back this week.
“Ang nag-signup sa Israel mga almost 300. Sa 300 na iyon, mga 50 lang ang gustong umuwi. Ngayon sa 50 na iyon, 20 ang uuwi na,” De Vega said in an interview on GMA’s Unang Balita.
He explained that many OFWs have chosen to remain in Israel because they feel they have already adjusted to the situation and continue to feel relatively safe.
“Kahit anong bagong ceasefire, karamihan gustong maiwan… ‘Yung mga bago lang doon ang nababahala,” he added.
De Vega also noted that the 20 returning OFWs will be flying out directly from Israel, unlike earlier groups who were routed through neighboring countries.
Additionally, 102 Filipinos from Iran are expected to arrive in the Philippines by Friday via Turkmenistan.
“May mga 20 na i-uuwi pero sa airport mismo ng Israel at hindi na idadaan sa Amman (Jordan)… Mayroon ding uuwi, mga 102 galing Iran, probably bukas,” he said.
The repatriation efforts are being managed by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), with all costs covered by the Philippine government./PN
