Despite the escalating situation in Israel, the Philippine government is maintaining the same alert level where Filipinos are advised to take precautions, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.
In a statement, the DFA said they have not received a report of any Filipino casualty in the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians that has so far claimed the lives of over 200 people, including 57 children.
There are more than 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, many of them are in the service sector.
“For now, we are at same alert level, where Filipinos are advised to take precautions. At the moment, still no report of any Filipino among casualties,” DFA Strategic Communications Executive Director Ivy Banzon-Abalos said.
Abalos added that the Philippine Embassy in Tel-Aviv and other embassies in nearby countries are readying contingency measures, in coordination with the DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA).
Communication lines have been established between the embassy and the Filipino community as part of the contingency measures that are in place.
“The Philippine embassy is in touch with Filipino community networks to ensure it is able to reach out to as many Filipinos in case special assistance is required,” the DFA official said.
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council made no progress in trying to resolve the escalating exchanges of rockets and airstrikes between the two sides.
Last week, the Philippine government said it is preparing for possible evacuation of Filipinos in Israel as the Embassy called on the nationals to listen to the safety instructions and strictly follow the directives of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Home Front Command.