21 PH gov't officials stranded in Israel arrive in PH

The 21 Filipino government officials who got stranded in Israel amid tensions with Iran arrived in Manila on Saturday morning.

The officials — 17 local government officials who attended an agricultural technology training and four dairy industry specialists of the Department of Agriculture (DA) — were met at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.

Of the 17 officials, two were congressmen, nine mayors, four vice mayors, and two regional directors. Their training started on June 10 and was supposed to end on June 20.

It was an emotional homecoming for the stranded officials, as seen in a video taken by GMA Integrated News reporter Bea Pinlac.

Remulla said all 21 Filipino government officials were safe, according to a report by Mao dela Cruz on Dobol B TV.

The DILG chief also thanked the Israeli government, the Philippine Embassy officials in Israel and Jordan, and other government agencies for their quick coordination to bring the stranded Pinoys back home.

According to Remulla, from the kibbutz where they stayed in Israel, the Filipino government officials traveled by bus to Amman, Jordan. From there they took a plane to Dubai, then left Dubai on a commercial flight to Manila.

Mga opisyal ng gobyerno na naipit sa Israel, nakauwi na sa bansa ngayong umaga. | via Mao dela Cruz pic.twitter.com/Dco4k5H3kL

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) June 20, 2025

Agriculture Secretary Francisco "Kiko" Tiu Laurel Jr. also thanked the Philippine Embassy in Israel and other government agencies for helping make possible the safe return of the four DA officials.

The DA named the four DA officials as Assistant Secretary Benjamin Albarece, Philippine Carabao Center Executive Director Liza Battad and National Dairy Authority officials Rowena Bautista and Angelica Escanilla.

“We welcome back home the DA delegation led by Assistant Secretary Benjamin Albarece, who went to Israel on mission to study the Israeli dairy industry. We are happy that all of you are safely back with your families and the DA family,” Tiu Laurel said, according to a DA press release issued Saturday.

The four officials were supposed to return to the Philippines on June 14 after their week-long study mission — part of the DA's efforts to explore best practices in dairy production and technology, aiming to strengthen the Philippines’ own dairy sector. However, with the airspace disruptions and hostilities, their flight was canceled.

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss earlier said the 21 Filipinos were attended to by the Israeli government.

"All of them have been taken care of by the Israeli government, and we are also looking for ways to send them back to the Philippines. This is our responsibility and our commitment… I can tell you that they are getting fed, lodging, and whatever they need. We are catering for, and I know that they are doing fine. Of course, it's not a pleasant situation,” Fluss said.

Tiu Laurel earlier said the stranded Filipinos were fearful as their hotels were bombed. The DA said the four Agriculture officials stayed at Hotel Kibbutz Shefayim in central Israel which endured multiple missile and bomb alerts. 

"Despite the tense conditions, the Philippine Embassy in Israel and MASHAV—Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation—worked swiftly to ensure their safe and prompt repatriation," the DA said.

The Philippine government on Friday raised crisis alert level 3 in Israel and Iran, urging Filipinos in the area to avail of voluntary repatriation amid ongoing armed hostilities between the two Middle Eastern countries.

Filipinos there should consider getting themselves and their dependents repatriated to avoid getting caught in the middle of ongoing clashes, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

Crisis level 3 or voluntary repatriation phase is imposed by the Philippine government on countries with deteriorating security conditions.

At least 30,000 workers, mostly caregivers, are in Israel, and more than 1,000 are in Iran. —KG, GMA Integrated News