
DFA: 27 Pinoys from Israel, 8 from Iran to arrive this week
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega says the 26 OFWs and one Filipino tourist who came from Israel will board a flight to Manila from Amman, Jordan. File photo
Twenty-seven Filipinos from Israel and eight from Iran are expected to return to the Philippines this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Sunday.
DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Filipinos from Israel are composed of 26 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and one tourist.
'That's today that they're in Amman, so they could possibly arrive tomorrow because their flight is leaving Amman. So, possibly tomorrow afternoon nandiyan na sila (they're here), at the latest for sure Tuesday,' De Vega said at the Kapihan sa QC.
Meanwhile, eight Filipinos from Iran — six OFWs and two tourists — are set to return to the Philippines on Thursday.
Earlier today, DFA Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer said nine Filipinos in Iran have requested repatriation, and over 200 Filipinos in Israel wanted to return to the Philippines.
On Friday, the Philippine government raised the crisis alert to level 3 in Israel and Iran, urging Filipinos in the affected areas to take advantage of the voluntary repatriation as armed hostilities between the two countries continue.
Eight Filipinos were injured amid the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv said.
At least 88 Filipinos have lost their homes due to missile impact, it added. —KG, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


GMA Network
26 minutes ago
- GMA Network
VP Sara Duterte to reply to Ombudsman ‘within required period'
Vice President Sara Duterte said that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will be submitting its response to the Ombudsman "within the required period," as her impeachment trial looms. The Ombudsman had directed Duterte to respond to the charges filed by the House of Representatives in connection with the alleged misuse of confidential funds. She was given 10 days to respond to the order, which was issued on June 19. In an interview during a support rally in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday, Duterte said that her team of lawyers informed her that an answer was being prepared for the Ombudsman. "As we speak, the lawyers are already preparing for the answer and the lawyers informed me that we will provide the answer within the period required within 10 days," she said. Duterte is also facing another deadline—she has until Monday, June 23, to respond to a summons from the Senate sitting as the impeachment court in her trial. The summons, served on June 11, also gave Duterte a "non-extendible" period of 10 days to respond to the articles of impeachment against her. Since the 10th day from the issuance, June 21, fell on a Saturday, Duterte will have until Monday to respond. Former associate justice Antonio Carpio has said that Duterte will lose her right to answer should she fail to submit her reply to the summons within the period. He stated that her lack of response will not stop the proceedings. During the interview, Duterte also said she has been preparing to respond to an impeachment since November 2023. 'The moment that we heard Representative [France] Castro from the House of Representatives mentioned the word impeachment. So we've been preparing for this and we've hired lawyers since 2023, so they will answer… We will provide the answer within 10 days,' she said. The Vice President also said that her visit to Australia was not a holiday, following remarks from Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro questioning whether her trip was personal or official. 'I do not like traveling at all except for holidays, and clearly I am not on holiday for this trip. I am here to discuss with the Filipino community on ways forward for our country, and of course how we can push the administration to do more for our country,' Duterte said. 'The Philippine government should not discount the contributions of the Filipino communities worldwide… It's good to sit down and discuss with them,' she added. — BM, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
DMW processing repatriation requests from 223 OFWs in Israel
DMW Sec. Hans Cacdac and Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos, along with the team of Philippine Embassy and Migrant Workers Office in Amman, Jordan pose with 26 OFWs and one Filipina tourist who will be returning to the Philippines through the government's voluntary repatriation program. Photo: Department of Migrant Workers The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Sunday said it is processing repatriation requests from 223 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Israel, as well as seeing to the travel needs of 30 Filipinos making up the first batch of returnees. In a press briefing on Sunday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac shared that the group of 30 will include 26 OFWs who had arrived in Jordan after passing through the Allenby Bridge and King Hussein Bridge on Sunday morning. The group of 26 will be joined by three other Filipinos from Jordan and another from the Israel-occupied West Bank, and will be accompanied home by Cacdac on a commercial flight set to arrive in the Philippines on Tuesday morning. 'Many of them also are longstanding OFWs, some about, should I say, 10 to 15 years in Israel and some three to six years in Israel, but all of them, of course, wish to come home… So rest assured, we will bring them home safely as directed by the President,' said Cacdac. The repatriated OFWs will receive adequate assistance from the government upon arrival in the country, including P150,000 in financial assistance, TESDA training vouchers and allowances, psychosocial counseling, and post-arrival medical check-ups. 'We will provide this particular benefit upon arrival. It will stem the tide for them. It's a safety net for those who lost their jobs, at least temporarily, and [they] will receive some tulong-pinansyal, pantawid [financial aid to help them get by]… Malaking bagay din to, di ba? Kasi maiibsan din yung gastusin ng mga dumadating [This is also a big deal, right? Because it will help with their costs when they arrive],' Cacdac added. Israel launched air attacks on Iran on June 13, claiming that the Islamic Republic is on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Iran retaliated, hitting several areas in Israel, with the attacks between the two countries still continuing. On Sunday, Israel's ally the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. Alert levels Meanwhile, Cacdac noted that the alert levels raised by the Philippines on other countries are based on decisions from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and corresponding Philippine embassies in the area. In response to the raised alert levels in Israel and Iran, DMW advised Filipinos not to proceed with planned trips in the affected areas. 'We rely on the DFA in terms of raising the alert level, so we will depend on the political security expertise of our dear colleagues at the DFA… What I can say however, tuloy ang tulong [the assistance continues] on the ground,' Cacdac said. Iran and Israel are currently at Alert Level 3 following armed hostilities between the two countries. The DFA advised Filipinos in either country to consider repatriation to avoid getting caught in hostile exchanges between the two Middle Eastern countries. — BM, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
7 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos returns from working visit to Osaka
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. meets with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) officials during his working visit to Osaka, Japan on June 21, 2025. Photo from his official Instagram account President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is back in the Philippines after a working visit to Osaka, Japan, his office said Sunday evening. Marcos landed in the Philippines at 6 p.m. after a four-day visit that included meeting with the Filipino community in Osaka and establishing business commitments with Japanese firms. "Kanadevia Corporation will partner with Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. on a waste-to-energy project that will help manage waste while generating clean energy. Tsuneishi Group will build the world's first methanol dual-fueled KAMSARMAX bulk carrier in Cebu, creating jobs and positioning the Philippines as a leader in green shipping," Marcos said in a social media post. "We also strengthened our partnership with Japanese tourism leaders to bring more visitors to the Philippines and open more opportunities for our workers. Our meeting with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency opened new paths for cooperation in space technology to enhance disaster monitoring, support farmers, and strengthen community safety," he added. Marcos, who was accompanied by First Lady Louise "Liza" Araneta Marcos, also twice paid a visit to the Philippine Pavilion at the 2025 Expo currently taking place in Osaka Marcos left on Thursday, with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III appointed as caretakers until his return. — BM, GMA Integrated News