Nun last Pinoy at Gaza — DFA

Only one Filipino is left in the war-torn Gaza Strip, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

Citing reports from the Philippine Embassy in Jordan, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said 136 out of the 137 Filipino nationals who were in Gaza since the 7 October surprise attack by Hamas in Israel have been evacuated.

De Vega said the only remaining Filipino national in Gaza is the 63-year-old Catholic nun from the Holy Family Church, who refused to leave her church despite the ongoing armed conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory.

“According to the Philippine Embassy in Amman, there is only one remaining Filipino national in Gaza, a Filipino nun of the Holy Family Church in Gaza,” De Vega told Daily Tribune.

“All indications are that she is safe and has decided to remain,” he added.

Over the weekend, the Philippine Embassy in Egypt said that 14 more Filipinos, along with their two Palestinian relatives, were able to cross through the Rafah border.

“This latest batch of repatriates is scheduled to leave Cairo on 20 February 2024 and will arrive in Manila on 21 February 2024,” the embassy said in a public advisory.