MANILA. Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. on Saturday welcomed back four officials from the Department of Agriculture (DA) who had been stranded in Israel due to airspace disruptions and escalating hostilities in the region.
In a statement, the DA expressed gratitude to the Philippine Embassy in Israel and other concerned government agencies for ensuring the officials’ safe return. The four were identified 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 a mission to study the Israeli dairy industry. We are happy that all of you are safely back with your families and the DA family,” said Secretary Tiu Laurel in a DA press release.
The officials were originally scheduled to return to the Philippines on June 14 after a week-long study mission aimed at adopting Israeli best practices in dairy production and technology to boost the Philippine dairy sector. However, the conflict in the Middle East forced the cancellation of their flight.
The DA reported that the delegation had been staying at Hotel Kibbutz Shefayim in central Israel, which endured multiple missile and bomb alerts during their stay. According to Tiu Laurel, the situation was especially alarming as hotels nearby were hit during attacks, leading to heightened fear and anxiety among the stranded officials.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss earlier said that all 21 Filipino government officials caught in Israel during the conflict, including the four from the DA, were being cared for 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. They are getting food, lodging, and everything they need,” Fluss assured.
The DA also acknowledged the swift action taken by the Philippine Embassy in Israel and MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, in arranging the safe and prompt repatriation of the stranded Filipinos.
On Friday, the Philippine government raised crisis alert level 3 in Israel and Iran, urging Filipinos in those countries to avail of voluntary repatriation due to the worsening security situation amid armed hostilities between the two nations.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) stated that Filipinos and their dependents should seriously consider returning home to avoid being caught in the conflict. Crisis alert level 3 signals the voluntary repatriation phase, which is implemented when security conditions significantly deteriorate.
There are currently at least 30,000 Filipino workers in Israel, most of whom are caregivers, and more than 1,000 are in Iran.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
