Egyptian authorities will prioritize and assist Filipinos crossing over from war-torn Gaza to Egypt, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday.
About 135 Filipinos are in Gaza, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a radio interview, but only around 78 to 80 are expected to go through Rafah Crossing into Egypt.
Rafah is the only crossing from Gaza not controlled by Israel, which is still planning a ground assault on the Palestinian enclave and has warned Gazans to evacuate south toward Egypt.
“Thank you to Egyptian Ambassador [to the Philippines] Ahmed Shehabeldin. He said he talked to their government that when foreigners arrive at the gate [at the border between Gaza and Egypt], to give priority [to Filipinos] or don’t give them problems, or make the processing faster,” de Vega said in a DZBB radio interview.
On Friday, President Marcos called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the Israel-Hamas conflict as he expressed deep concern over the ongoing battles.
“The Philippines is deeply concerned about the rising number of victims and the safety of all persons, as well as the dire humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Israel and in Gaza,” Marcos said during the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-GCC) Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“We hope that all parties will exert their utmost efforts to de-escalate the situation, stop all violence, and engage in dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.
Calling for the war to end should be the priority of the international community, the State of Palestine’s envoy to the Philippines also said Friday, citing the growing unrest in the Middle East as the civilian death toll in the Israel-Hamas conflict mounts.
In a virtual press conference, Palestinian Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Mohammad said the world should concentrate on ways to “end the cycle of violence” in the area.
Meanwhile, a total of 18 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the escalating conflict arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Friday through government intervention.
Of the total, 14 of them are caregivers while the other four are hotel workers.
Representatives from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the DFA, and other government agencies welcomed the second batch of repatriates, assuring them of various assistance and aid.
On Wednesday, the first batch of 16 returning OFWs, composed of 15 caregivers, a hotel worker, and a one-month-old infant arrived in the country.
“At the crossing, there is an area that is not yet Egypt, it’s like a processing area. They [Egyptian authorities] know this already; they were given names [of Filipinos who intend to cross the border],” he said.
“But we are not expecting that the number of Filipinos who will cross [Rafah] will reach 100. We saw that at the start of the tensions, there were 78 [Filipinos] heading toward the border. Up to 80 [Filipinos] are interested [to cross],” de Vega said.
“Well, we cannot convince the others to cross. We are hoping they would cross [the border] when ready because we cannot guarantee their safety and their conditions once the ground assault of Israel starts and Gaza [militants] attack,” he added.
As of Saturday morning, however Rafah Crossing is still closed.
“We are expecting that the negotiations [will be finished soon]. There is a road to be constructed, so it’s still closed. But at a moment’s notice, the [Filipinos] can cross should [Rafah] open,” de Vega said.