DFA to Filipinos who fled Ukraine: Go home, don’t ‘wait out’ in other European countries

Thirteen Filipinos from Ukraine arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport late Monday, Mar. 1, 2022. (Photo from DFA Usec. Sarah Arriola’s Twitter)

MANILA, Philippines — After leaving Ukraine, there are Filipinos opting to “wait out” the ongoing conflict in other European countries instead of returning to the Philippines, which the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) strongly discourages.

“May mga ibang mga kababayan tayo na alam namin na nagpunta na sa iba’t ibang bansa sa Europe at nakikipagsapalaran sila doon. Which we really strongly discourage kasi may influx po ng refugees sa Europe,”  DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said in a Teleradyo interview on Friday.

(We have fellow Filipinos who we know went to other countries in Europe and are taking risks there, which we strongly discourage since there’s an influx of refugees in Europe.)

“Hindi rin ganun kadaling mag-wait out kasi hindi natin alam kung kailan, gaano katagal po itong crisis na ‘to,” she added.

(It’s also not that easy to wait it out because we don’t know how long this crisis will go on.)

According to Arriola, some 40 Filipinos who have crossed the Ukraine border to Hungary and opted to stay there.

“Nandun lang sila, naghihintay lang talaga sila…parang wait and see dahil maganda raw yung naging kalagayan nila sa Ukraine. Hindi pa sila handang umalis ng bansa,” she added.

(They are there, just waiting, because they said they liked their condition in Ukraine. They’re not ready to leave yet.)

She, however, stressed that it would be better to wait out the ongoing crisis in Ukraine in the Philippines, where the cost of living is cheaper that in European countries.

“It’s better to wait it out here in the Philippines tapos bumalik ka na lang. Dahil lubhang mas mahal po talaga sa Europe kaysa sa Pilipinas,” she said.

(It’s better to wait it out here in the Philippines and then return after. Because it’s much more expensive to stay in Europe than in the Philippines.)

According to Arriola, some of these Filipinos have a Schengen visa, which is valid in most European countries.

Meanwhile, other Filipinos left Ukraine after its neighboring countries, such as Poland, Moldova, Romania and Hungary, allowed the entry of persons to be repatriated to their respective countries.

“But ang usapan diyan is they have to leave at once, otherwise, masisira rin naman yung pangalan natin sa mga bansang ‘yun. Kasi yun talaga yung usapan…nagbigay sila ng humanitarian corridor para sa citizens natin with the agreement that they will just be repatriated,” the DFA official explained.

(But our agreement is that they have to leave at once, otherwise, the country’s reputation will be tarnished. Because the agreement was they will provide a humanitarian corridor for citizens with the agreement that they will just be repatriated.)

According to Arriola, there are still 116 Filipinos in Ukraine while a total of 93 have already fled the eastern European country.

Some of those who remain in Ukraine include the wives of Ukrainian nationals while others are household service workers who opted stayed with their employers.

There are also aid workers who are part of humanitarian organizations, like the Red Cross, who are still in Ukraine.

Arriola then appealed to Filipinos who are still in Ukraine to avail of the repatriation offer of the Philippine government before “heavy fighting” breaks out.

“Lumalala na po yung labanan sa ground, so habang maaari pa pong lumikas, lumikas na po sila, ‘pag nag-heavy fighting, yung sobra na po yung artillery, hindi na po sila mae-extract ng Philippine Embassy. So habang kaya pa pong ma-extract, umuwi na po sila,” she said.

(The fighting on the ground is getting worse, if they can still leave, please leave, if heavy fighting breaks out, the Philippine Embassy can no longer extract you. So while we can still do that, they should leave already.)

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