The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, has made an important request. On Thursday, they asked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the Philippines to lower the Alert Level in Israel from Level 3 to Level 2.
Why? Because of the ceasefire (a stop to fighting) between Israel and Iran — two countries that had been attacking each other in recent weeks.
What Does Alert Level 3 Mean?
Right now, Israel is under Alert Level 3. This means:
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Filipinos living or working there are advised to go home if they want (voluntary repatriation).
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People should not go outside unless necessary.
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It’s not completely safe.
But if the alert is lowered to Level 2, it means:
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The danger has gone down.
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People can move around more freely, but still need to be careful.
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Life could slowly return to normal.
Is It Really Safe Now?
Earlier this week, Israel and Iran agreed to stop attacking each other. This helped calm down the situation. The fighting had lasted for 12 days, and it was so bad that Iran even closed its skies to planes since June 13.
But now that things are getting better, Iran reopened the airspace in the eastern part of the country. This is a hopeful sign that things might truly be settling down.
What About Filipinos in Israel?
There are around 30,000 Filipinos working in Israel. When the fighting began, the Philippine government told them they could choose to come home if they felt unsafe.
But many of them decided to stay. Why? Because:
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They feel safe in their communities.
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They want to keep their jobs.
The DFA says it will continue to:
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Watch the situation closely
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Work with people on the ground in Israel
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Check if it’s really safe to lower the alert
Final Decision Still Pending
Even though the Embassy in Tel Aviv made the recommendation, the decision to officially lower the alert must come from the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. So, as of now, everyone is still waiting.
GMA News Online also tried to ask the DFA for more updates, but the department hasn’t replied yet.
