MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in Amman has received the first Filipino worker, followed by an initial five evacuees, who crossed the border from Israel to Jordan, according to an update near midnight Thursday.
Edsel Sarquilla, an engineer, was first to reach Jordan on Wednesday. He was later joined by four tourists and one fellow worker.
They were received by Ambassador Wilfredo Santos and other embassy officials.
In anticipation of the arrival of more Filipinos amid the Israel-Iran conflict, embassy officials conducted ocular inspections at the border.
“The Philippine Embassy in Amman remains committed to providing all necessary support and repatriation assistance in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.,” the embassy said in a news release.
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The Embassy in Tel Aviv assisted the tourists in crossing the Israeli border, worked closely with Israeli authorities and extended all necessary support to facilitate the safe departure of the Filipinos.
As of June 18, there are 67 Filipinos who lost their homes in Israel; while of the seven injured, one remained in critical condition.
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The Philippine government is also preparing to repatriate 14 Filipino workers from Iran, while continuing coordination with Philippine embassies in Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.
Each returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW) will receive P150,000 in financial assistance, split equally from the funds of the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
The latest conflict started June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes across Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran.
Official data released said 224 have been killed in Iran and 24 in Israel, as reported by Anadolu news agency.
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Filipinos in the West Bank who may need assistance may contact the Embassy through the Assistance-to-Nationals hotlines at +962 77 907 7778, +962 77 907 7775, +962 77 798 8818, +962 77 721 9000 and +962 6 590 1730 for consular assistance.
