Filipino mother in Ukraine yet to flee due to fear of bombings

A Filipino mother and her family have yet to get repatriated due to fear of bombings amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) order for mandatory evacuations from Ukraine, Filipina mother Rhea Rhose Ramos Taibova said they were still unable to get repatriated due to fear of traveling to the evacuation site, according to Maki Pulido’s “24 Oras” report on Tuesday.

“Parang kailangan po namin pumunta mismo doon sa Lviv which is very dangerous po at this time kasi explosions are still anywhere and then we have babies po,” Taibova said.

(We need to go right there in Lviv which is very dangerous at this time because explosions are still everywhere and then we are traveling with babies.)

Taibova said they turned off their lights at night as a safety measure amid the heightened tensions in Ukraine.

“For safety purposes, pagwalang ilaw 'di ba wala silang makikita. Protocol po sa lahat dito po,” she said.

(We turn off our lights at night so that they can't see anything. That is the protocol for everyone here.)

Despite this, Taibova considered herself fortunate because her family was far from the center of the war in Ukraine.

Taibova appealed for donations, noting that at least 1,000 Ukrainian refugees from various cities were staying at an evacuation center in their area.

Meanwhile, the 21 Filipino crewmen of  MV S-Breeze, a vessel from Chornomosk, Ukraine, arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said.

The seafarers had been in drydock for repairs at the Ilyichevsk Ship Yard in the Port of Odessa, Ukraine since January 27.

The DFA earlier urged nearly 400 Filipinos in Ukraine to immediately contact the embassy for any untoward incident in their areas.

As of Monday’s report, Russia declined to attend a hearing at the United Nation’s top court where Ukraine asked for an immediate order to halt the conflict. — Richa Noriega/DVM, GMA News