HOME, FINALLY Filipino repatriates from the Gaza Strip Isabelita Balala (holding flag), 62, and Minerva Sabah, 58, (behind her), are welcomed by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Friday. They are among the latest batch of 34 Filipinos who arrived in the country after the Rafah border Gaza,“What was scary was we’d just tremble whenever there were explosions. Whenever they (Israel) started bombing, it was really intense. Gaza is gone, they pulverized it. Whenever the bombing would get closer to us we didn’t know if we would still survive until tomorrow,” Balala said at a press briefing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport where she and 33 other Filipinos arrived Friday. While Balala managed to be calm enough to recount her experience, Minerva Sabah, 58, could barely speak when she recalled her escape from Gaza.
Sabah said she was happy that she and her two children were repatriated, but noted with concern that her Palestinian husband, an assistant professor, was not able to get clearance from the Israeli government to leave Gaza.
She said she was unable to communicate with her husband given the communication signal problem there.
“I’m not sure if my house will still be standing there when we get back. Right now it’s still intact, but I’m not sure,” Sabah said, holding back tears.
Lucina Al-Qadiri, 57, arrived together with four of her children. She has another son who stayed behind, since his Palestinian wife was not given clearance to leave as well.
“They (Israeli authorities) don’t want to include her [in the clearance list], which is sad because she’s a breastfeeding mother, she’s also bleeding. Can you leave [her] alone in the house? She’s also depressed,” Al-Qadiri said of her daughter-in-law, who just gave birth on Oct. 6.
Total arrivals
The three women were among the 34 Filipinos who arrived home Friday. President Marcos had announced their arrival on X, formerly Twitter, adding that 56 more Filipinos have left Gaza, joining the 42 who had previously crossed the Rafah border to Egypt.
This brings to 132 the total number of Filipinos out of Gaza. The initial count of Filipinos there was at 137, but a number of them have refused to leave unless they could bring their families.
The total number of arrivals on Friday was 35, including a Palestinian spouse, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Marcos said they were evacuated through the help of the government of Qatar.
‘Safe journey’
Apart from the official tally of Filipinos in Gaza, two Filipino physicians of Doctors Without Borders were able to leave last week through the Rafah border after selected foreigners were allowed to cross.
The President said he was hopeful that the remaining Filipinos in Gaza would be able to leave with their families soon.
“The safe journey of our nationals is of utmost importance, and we look forward to welcoming them home,” Mr. Marcos said in his post on X.
Apart from the Filipinos in Gaza, a total of 184 OFWs have been repatriated from Israel.