The Philippine government is on standby to raise the alert level in Israel amid rising tensions in the region, with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) saying any escalation will depend on a formal recommendation from the Philippine ambassador in Tel Aviv.

In an interview, DFA Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo de Vega said they are waiting for the recommendation of Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola-Rau.

“Except now, when she recommends it, we'll of course follow, in accordance also with the instructions of the President,” De Vega said.

DFA Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Bob Ferrer added that any decision to escalate will be based on assessments “based on certain parameters.”

“We have a department order that governs whether we decide alert level 2 or 3, there are certain categories, for example alert level 4 if it’s dangerous to life… alert level 3 is voluntary,” Ferrer said.

Israel has remained under Alert Level 2 since October 2023, following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This alert level prohibits the deployment of new overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the country.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac said there are approximately 30,000 OFWs in Israel. Even before tensions flared between Israel and Iran, 82 OFWs had already expressed their desire to return home.

“And since the Friday attacks, 10 signified their desire to come home, so that’s around 92 in our list in terms of those who are prepared to come home, but again we will work closely with the DFA and Israeli authorities on this matter,” the DMW secretary added.

OFWs affected

Meanwhile, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan confirmed that one of the four OFWs in the recent attack by Iran on Israel remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

“Our fellow Filipino is in the Rehovot area… the one in critical condition suffered neck compression, and is currently being monitored because she’s in the ICU,” Caunan said.

Another OFW remains hospitalized in a “moderately critical condition,” though no longer in the ICU. The two others have already been discharged.

“We already informed their families. Actually, the two who are still confined have family members with them.”

There were also 18 OFWs supposed to travel to Israel and Jordan who were stranded in Dubai after an airspace closure halted flights. They returned to the Philippines on Monday and received financial assistance.

One of them, 45-year-old Orla, had just finished a vacation in the Philippines. She cited how her friend in Israel described the situation as “more extreme” because of the use of ballistic missiles by Iran.

She added that it was her first time being stranded in an airport for nearly two days but expressed a strong desire to return to Israel.

Cacdac said that Israeli authorities noted that the Ben Gurion Airport will resume on 30 June. Orla said that she is still in touch with her employer.

“[My employer said] it’s much better to return home first than be stranded in Dubai. So when the airport resumes operations, we will go back,” she said. “We should be able to return by July.”

The 18 OFWs consist of 15 caregivers, and three from Jordan are newly hired domestic workers in Jordan.