DFA: No downgrade yet of alert level in Israel, Iran

MANILA, June 27 ------ The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that Alert Level 3 still remains in effect in both Israel and Iran, despite recent developments pointing to a ceasefire in the region. Foreign Affairs officials emphasized that any decision to downgrade the alert status will not be rushed, citing the volatility of the situation.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega explained that while the ceasefire is welcome, the government must see sustained stability before modifying its crisis alert levels. “We just barely started the ceasefire. So to immediately lower the alert level, lower than 3 which is voluntary repatriation, might be premature,” he said.

Under Alert Level 3, voluntary repatriation continues to be in place. De Vega confirmed that 20 overseas Filipinos from Tel Aviv are expected to return home soon, now that Ben Gurion Airport has reopened to limited flights. Another group of eight Filipinos from Iran is also set to arrive in the Philippines via Turkmenistan, Friday. De Vega also reiterated the government’s appeal to Filipinos in affected areas: “Kung pwede, umuwi muna kayo.”

He assured the public that embassies remain ready to assist, noting that over 400 Filipinos in Israel have received aid ranging from food to temporary shelter. The DFA is also closely monitoring a Filipina currently confined in a hospital in Israel and over 100 Filipinos displaced due to the conflict. For families in the Philippines who have lost contact with relatives in the Middle East, the DFA advised calling its migration office at (02) 834-4000 or reaching out through the OWWA hotline 1348.

Meanwhile, DFA Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs, Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, stressed the importance of a long-term peace framework in the region. The DFA says, it is best to express cautious optimism, stating that the worst may be over following Iran’s now-intercepted missile attacks on U.S. bases in Qatar, but at the same time, emphasizing that tensions remain, particularly with ongoing instability involving Israel and Hamas in Gaza. “Our position is always consistent. That we support the two-state solution, which is envisioning an independent Israel, and independent Palestine, in one territory with well defined borders. I think pressure is not the solution to this, it’s dialogue and understanding.”

When asked about future deployments of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), Aguilar-Usudan clarified that even a downgrade to Alert Level 2 would still prohibit new deployments. Only when the situation returns to normal will the Philippines resume labor negotiations with Israel through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). “For Israel, there is already a recommendation to lower it to Alert Level 2, but we still have to get the approval of the Secretary,” she said, adding, “It has to go gradually.”

The Philippines currently has an estimated 2.1 million nationals working across the Middle East. The DFA reiterated that ensuring their safety remains a top priority amid the region’s shifting security landscape.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com