Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17502124034561750212400842.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A destroyed building is pictured at a site in Tel Aviv hit by a missile fired from Iran on June 14, 2025. John Wessels, AFP</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines is not yet ordering a mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in Israel and Iran amid the ongoing airstrikes between the two Middle Eastern countries, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Wednesday.</p><p>Several parts of Israel — where there are some 30,000 Filipinos — have been on fire this week after Iranian missiles slipped through the Iron Dome, its anti-missile defense system.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/17/filipino-officials-in-israel-may-be-home-in-next-coming-days-owwa-0745">Filipino officials in Israel may be home ‘in next coming days’: OWWA</a></div><p>“No, not yet. We generally leave it to each individual or to each family to decide for themselves whether or not they feel generally safe or whether or not they want to be evacuated,” Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.</p><p>“Ang naging problema natin sa kanila ay dahil sa gera maraming sarado na airport kaya naghahanap tayo ng ruta saan sila mailaabas,” he said.</p><p>The Philippine government is “watching our nationals both in Israel and in Iran,” and Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac is already en route to Jordan to closely monitor voluntary evacuation efforts.</p><p>“We have already contacted all our nationals and asked them if they want to be evacuated,” Marcos said.</p><p>“<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/17/dmw-109-filipinos-in-israel-want-to-be-repatriated-amid-conflict-1333">Some have asked to be evacuated out of Israel</a>, some now sa Iran ayaw muna nila umalis pero ngayon natatakot na sila kaya nagpapatulong na makalabas,” he said.</p><p>The war between Israel and Iran was reignited last week after Israeli forces bombed Iranian nuclear facilities and missile factories, describing the attack as a “preemptive strike.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/6/18/flames-smoke-rise-from-tehran-skyline-as-israel-bombards-iran-0910">Flames, smoke rise from Tehran skyline as Israel bombards Iran</a></div><p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Iran has been stockpiling nuclear weapons in the past few years to attack Israel.</p><p>Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameini vowed to avenge his slain countrymen. </p><p>There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, while another 1,200 are living in Iran.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘CONTINGENCY PLAN’ </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Philippine government has prepared a “contingency plan” for Filipinos in Israel who have expressed willingness to return to the Philippines, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said.</p><p>He said the government was “paying attention to the need to take out” Filipinos from the conflict who are “already ready to leave and come back to the Philippines”.</p><p>“Meron nang contingency plan na dadalhin muna sila sa Jordan kasi air travel is wala na, it stopped from that area. And from Jordan, maybe there will be other ways of bringing them out…directly return to the Philippines. May mga nakahanda nang mga pamilya,” Bersamin said in a chance interview after the launching ceremony of National Forensics Institute in University of the Philippines Manila on Wednesday.</p><p>Bersamin acknowledged that there are some Filipinos who do not want to leave Israel despite the rising conflict.</p><p>“Hindi mo maalis ‘yan dahil alam mo mga kababayan natin doon napapamahal na sa kanila ‘yung mga pinagsisilbihan nilang Israelis. Ang incidence ng ganun hindi naman masabi kung ilan dahil hindi pa na-reach out ‘yung mga ibang kababayan natin. Pero ‘yung mga nakausap na, most of them have expressed the readiness and willingness to return,” he said.</p><p>For now, the Philippine government has yet to receive feedback regarding Filipinos in Iran who would like to be repatriated, according to Bersamin.</p><p>“Wala pa tayong feedback pa sa Iran kasi ang DMW seems to be concentrated doon sa areas ng Israel, Jordan and Lebanon because of that Gaza war. Pero we are hoping na hindi naman malayo na meron ding kababayan natin sa Iran who will need our support, our assistance,” he noted.</p><p>Bersamin added that the Marcos administration was ready to cushion the potential impact of the conflict on prices on petroleum products in the country.  </p><p>“Pinag-uusapan pa ‘yan dahil meron nang pag-aaral tungkol diyan, kaya lang hindi pa tapos because it’s always expected na mayroong ganyan natin pangyayari kapag mayroong conflict sa Middle East. Pero sana hindi masyadong mag-spike yung presyo doon at hindi tayo masyadong maapektuhan,” the Palace official said.</p><p>“But in any case, nakahanda ang gobyerno na mag-adopt ng measures that will lighten the load, the impact sa atin,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n7S415XnevQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Philippines is not yet ordering a mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in Israel and Iran amid the ongoing airstrikes between the two Middle Eastern countries, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.</p>

The Philippines is not yet ordering a mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in Israel and Iran amid the ongoing airstrikes between the two Middle Eastern countries, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos says Philippines 'not yet' imposing mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in Israel, Iran

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Marcos says Philippines 'not yet' imposing mandatory repatriation for Filipinos in Israel, Iran

Katrina Domingo,

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 18, 2025 10:07 AM PHT

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Updated June 18, 2025 01:47 PM PHT

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