The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday (July 14) lifted the temporary suspension of departure of Filipino workers to Israel.
Based on the department’s issued memorandum, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered the lifting of the suspension following the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)’s recommendation to “withdraw the temporary suspension of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Israel” due to “low level incidents” between the Israel Defense Force and Palestinian militant groups.
Bello directed Labor Attaché Rodolfo Gabasan of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Israel to implement the said lifting of suspension immediately.
According to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) data, around 30,000 Filipinos are staying in Israel while 400 are in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, no reported Filipinos have been injured due to the tension between Israel and Palestine.
Report from Louisa Erispe/NGS-rir