While majority of Filipinos in Ukraine want to flee amid Russia's unprovoked assault, the Department of Foreign Affairs said some are choosing to stay and "wait out" the ongoing conflict.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola on Monday, Feb. 28, said more Filipinos have reached out to them to join the Philippine government's repatriation efforts.
Arriola said they are still waiting for more Filipinos who evacuated Ukraine's capital Kyiv to arrive in the western city of Lviv where they will be transported to the border with Poland.
"We are still waiting na dumating sila lahat sa Lviv (to arrive in Lviv) for the second batch of border crossing," Arriola said during the virtual Laging Handa briefing.
Arriola said 13 Filipinos who arrived in Poland are currently staying in a hotel in Warsaw while waiting for the results of the RT-PCR test before their flight by Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, six Filipino evacuees have so far arrived in the Republic of Moldova as of Monday morning including a medical student, two Filipinos working for an international organization, and two overseas Filipinos married to Ukrainian nationals–one of whom traveled with her two-year-old son.
The DFA confirms the safe arrival of 6 Filipinos from Ukraine in Moldova.
The evacuees include a medical student, 2 Overseas Filipinos married to Ukrainian nationals (one of whom traveled with her 2 yr old son), & 2 Filipinos working for an intl org.@teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/kMWjCh2V2z
— Sarah Lou Ysmael Arriola (@slyarriola) February 28, 2022
However, Arriola said some of the Filipinos who have evacuated to Lviv have no plans to get repatriated and want to stay in Ukraine until the pace of the assault eased.
"Mayroon pa rin pong maraming Pilipino na lumilikas papuntang Lviv pero ayaw nilang magpa-repatriate (There are still many Filipinos who evacuated to Lviv but don't want to get repatriated). They just want to wait it out and see," the foreign affairs official noted.
"What we are trying to do is to be in constant contact with Filipinos who choose to stay and at least know where they are and give them assistance or care packages kung kinakailangan (if needed)," she added.
Most of them, Arriola explained, are either married to a Ukrainian and already have a family there; or household service workers who refused to leave their employers.
Arriola added that the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kyiv remains open to provide assistance to Filipinos affected by the heightened tension between Ukraine and Russia.
Filipinos in Ukraine who wish to be repatriated may get in touch with the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw through the following contact details:
- Email: [email protected]
- Emergency Hotline: +48 604 357 396
- Office Mobile Number: +48 694 491 663
Those who need repatriation assistance near the borders at Moldova and Romania may reach the Philippine Embassy in Budapest through the following contact details:
Hungary
- Budapest PE Emergency Hotline: +36 30 202 1760
- Assistance-To-Nationals Officer: +36 30 074 5656 (mobile); +63 966 340 4725 (Viber)
Moldova
- Consul Victor Gaina
- Mobile number and WhatsApp: +37369870870
- Email addresses: [email protected]; [email protected]