The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday confirmed the death of another Filipino in the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist Hamas.
"I regret to inform you that, yes, it is confirmed. There is a third Filipino casualty," DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said in a briefing.
Without divulging her name, De Vega said the victim was a 40-year-old Filipina from Negros Occidental.
"We join the nation in extending our deepest sympathies to the relatives of the latest casualty, who was also a caregiver," he said.
De Vega said the Philippine Embassy in Israel has informed the family, particularly her sisters, who are currently in Kuwait.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had been notified about the third Filipino casualty.
There are almost 30,000 Filipinos who consider Israel their second home. Most work in the caregiving, hospitality, engineering and healthcare industries.
De Vega said the number of missing Filipinos in Israel stood at three, expressing hope they would be found in the coming days.
"It does not mean there is no hope. There were a lot (of) missing (Filipinos) a week ago, but they have been accounted for. Possibly, these three will show up," he said.
Repatriation
As this developed, the DFA official said there were now 22 Filipinos seeking repatriation from Israel, while in the Gaza Strip — the epicenter of the Israel-Hamas conflict — 92 Filipinos were requesting evacuation.
Citing data from the Philippine Embassy in Jordan, De Vega said there were now only 132 Filipinos left in Gaza.
For cremation
The Department of Migrant Workers said the remains of one of the first two Filipinos reported to have died in the conflict will be cremated.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the family decided to cremate the remains.
"One of the relatives announced they have opted for a cremation. For the other casualty, we are processing the repatriation of the body," Cacdac said. "The remains will be flown home soon."
The two victims were identified as Paul Vincent Castelvi, a 42-year-old caregiver, and Angeline Aguirre, a nurse in her 30s.
Aguirre chose to remain with her elderly patient and was killed when gunmen opened fire on a bomb shelter in Israel.
Castelvi, on the other hand, was planning to spend the holidays in the Philippines to surprise his mother.
Phl to brand Hamas, a terror group
The Philippines is working on the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization in the country, National Security Council Secretary Eduardo Año said on Friday.
Año said the Anti-Terrorism Council will prioritize the group's designation as a terrorist organization — "in solidarity with the people of Israel"— under Republic Act 11479, The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Año strongly condemned Hamas' unlawful assault against the Israeli people and foreign nationals residing in Israel.
"This was a deadly and barbaric terrorist assault on Israel targeting its civilian population, and Israel has every right, as much as any nation, to defend itself from this attack, which has already claimed more than 1,200 lives, including that of three Filipinos, and wounded some 3,000 others," he said.
"Together with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we hope for a swift resolution to this conflict. We pray for the safety of innocent civilians, and we offer our thanks to the government of Israel for its efforts to protect our citizens," he added.
Phl economy unaffected
Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict has barely affected the Philippine economy since the country has "very little exposure" in the conflict zone, the National Economic and Development Authority said on Friday.
In a Palace briefing, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said there had been no major supply chain disruptions due to the conflict, and the impact on oil prices has been negligible.
"I guess the question is whether it will spread, and should that happen, that is another matter. Because then, if it gets to the supply chain, (it) will affect the global movement of trade," he said.
He warned that a protracted war between Israel and Palestine could harm the Philippine economy.
"Unless it spills into the other countries and affects the oil supply, then it would have an impact on us," he said. "But as of now, we are not seeing that."
Balisacan said the Philippine government is closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to mitigate any negative impact on the Philippine economy.
The International Monetary Fund said earlier it would be "very closely monitoring how the situation evolves" and how it would affect the oil markets.
The IMF's World Economic Outlook, which came out earlier this week but was written before the conflict, already expected slow economic growth worldwide.
Red Cross steps in
Meanwhile, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said it is conducting neutral humanitarian efforts amid the ongoing armed conflict between the Israeli government and the Hamas militant group.
Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Near and Middle East, emphasized that taking hostages is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Hence, he said the ICRC will be working on the immediate release of anyone being held by militants amid the conflict.
"We are now in contact with Hamas and Israeli officials as part of efforts on this issue. As a neutral intermediary, we stand ready to conduct humanitarian visits, facilitate communication between hostages and family members, and facilitate any eventual release," Carboni said.
Carboni lamented the "human misery" caused by the war.
"The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians," he said.
"As Gaza loses power, hospitals lose power, newborns in incubators and elderly patients on oxygen are at risk. Kidney dialysis stops, and X-rays can't be taken. Without electricity, hospitals risk turning into morgues," he added.