ILOILO City – A regional government agency director and a long-time overseas worker found themselves in the heart of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran – a sobering picture of how geopolitical unrest has reached even those from Western Visayas.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 6 director Juan Jovian Ingeniero was among at least 17 Philippine local government officials stranded in Israel due to Iran’s missile strikes.
Photos released by the Philippine News Agency showed Ingeniero in the company of Eastern Visayas mayors inside a bomb-proof bunker — a reminder of the severity of the security threat they faced while on official travel.
Efforts by local media to contact Ingeniero were unsuccessful, and the DILG-6 has yet to issue a formal statement.
The three Eastern Visayas were Mayor Aaron Balais of Barugo, Leyte; Mayor Athene Mendros of Lawaan, Eastern Samar; and Mayor Betty Cabal of Hindang, Leyte.
According to Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss, the Filipino delegation — which included officials on agricultural training and dairy study tours — was safe and well-provided for.
“They are getting fed, lodging, and whatever they need. Of course, it’s not a pleasant situation,” Fluss said, acknowledging the psychological toll of the crisis.
Meanwhile, in Israel’s capital Tel Aviv, 49-year-old Ilongga caregiver Beca Agundo Tabares has been enduring sleepless nights and high anxiety as she navigates the dangers of working in a war-torn environment.
“Malinong pa sa aga, pero umpisa sa gab-i asta sa kaaganhon, amo gid na perme ang tirada nila. ‘Di kami matulugan, kay ang haboy nila sang rocket, may matupa gid,” Tabares told DyFM Bombo Radyo Iloilo.
A caregiver at a home for the aged, Tabares said missile attacks by Iran usually start at 9 p.m., with the usual Israeli sirens to alert the public replaced by mobile alerts.
“We run to the bomb shelter whenever the warning comes. It’s tough, especially at night while taking care of the elderly,” she said in Hiligaynon. “The rockets have enough force to destroy a building.”
While her building is equipped with bomb shelters on every floor, she expressed concern for other OFWs without similar protection.
“Ang rocket halin sa Iran sympre maagi pa na siya sa Kuwait, Iraq, at Jordan. Makita mo sa cellphone mo nga may warning. Handa na kami sina nga pukawon ang amon alaga, para magbangon kag magkadto sa bomb shelter. Nahatagan kami 20 minutes mag-alert,” she said.
Still, Tabares, who has worked in Israel for 20 years, assured her family in Iloilo that she is safe and has chosen to remain in her post despite the risks.
“I feel secure in my job. I just pray we won’t be hit,” she said.
The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv is assisting both delegations and OFWs, compiling lists of those willing to return home. However, many like Tabares are staying put, bound by livelihood and duty even as conflict rages around them./PN
