Palace: Contingency plans ready for Pinoys in Gaza

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang said Tuesday that the government has prepared contingency measures to protect Filipino migrant workers in Gaza Strip, which is being attacked by Israeli air forces. In a text message, Press Secretary Jesus G. Dureza said the Department of Foreign Affairs is ready to evacuate the Filipinos in case fighting between Israel and Islamic militant group Hamas escalates further. “The Philippine government has contingency plans, including possible evacuation of Filipino nationals from Gaza, and ready to execute them if and when needed," he said. “Our embassy is in close coordination with concerned authorities, [and] has the resources needed to implement the contingency plans, and will take appropriate decisions as required by the situation on the ground," he added. There are around 31,000 Filipinos working in Israel and around a hundred in Palestine. Philippine Ambassador to Israel Petronila Garcia has reported that Filipinos in Gaza Strip were safe from the attacks. Last Saturday, Israel launched air raids on Hamas-held territories in Gaza Strip, intensifying the decades-old territory conflict between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. Reports have said the attacks killed some 200 people and injured 400 others. The United Nations has called for the halting of the atrocities in the Middle East and asked the warring parties to ensure that people in the affected areas would get enough food, medicines and other necessities. — Alexis Douglas B. Romero, BusinessWorld