Some Pinoys to return to Gaza after war ends, says DFA

After surviving the violent conflict, some of the Filipinos rescued from the Gaza Strip will return to the enclave once the war is over, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

The first batch of Filipinos, composed of 34 Filipinos and one Palestinian national, arrived in the Philippines earlier. One of them is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). 

“Hindi po usual OFW treatment pero meron na silang malaking financial assistance. $1,000 for each family,” said DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told Ivan Mayrina’s report on “24 Oras."

(We will not give them the same treatment as the OFW but they will receive financial assistance of $1,000 per family.)

“Hindi naman sila mananatili rito eh. They're just waiting for the war to end tapos babalik sila dun so they are not here for good,” de Vega said. 

(They will not stay here. They're just waiting for the war to end then they will go back there.)

The repatriates are part of the 40 Filipinos who crossed the Gaza-Egypt border earlier this week. However, six Filipinos remain in Cairo, Egypt, of whom three are married to Egyptian citizens who wanted to apply for citizenship while one was a pregnant woman, accompanied by her mother and her child.  

“I’m happy kasi I'm here. At the same time sad kasi ang husband ko was there. Hindi siya inaprubahan to come here,” a repatriated Filipino said. 

(I’m happy I'm here. At the same time, I am sad because my husband was there. He wasn’t allowed to cross.)

“Nandun lahat 'yung ano namin, eh. 'Yung asawa ko nandun, assistant professor siya. 'Yung anak ko she's working sa government agency sa UNDP. 'Yung anak ko na bunso, nag-aaral pa siya. Di ko lang alam kung pagbalik ko, nandun pa 'yung bahay namin,” she said. 

(My husband, and my child who was working at the UNDP are there. My youngest child is also there. I am not sure if our house will still be there when I come back.)

The DFA said it is still urging other Filipinos stranded in the enclave to take the opportunity and evacuate to Egypt while the Rafah border crossing is still open.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said a group composed of 56 Filipinos had fled the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into Egypt through the Rafah crossing.

The Filipinos were supposed to travel to the Egyptian capital of Cairo, where they would take flights back to the Philippines.—Sundy Locus/LDF/KG, GMA Integrated News