More Filipinos exiting Israel via Jordan ‘in the coming days’

CROSSING JORDAN. Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos receives the 21 Filipino nationals who were visiting Israel when the Iran crisis broke out. The 21 persons, all on an official trip to the Jewish state under the sponsorship of the Israeli government, crossed the Jordanian border on June 18. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Amman)

MANILA, Philippines  – More Filipinos leaving Israel are expected to cross the border to Jordan in the coming days, said the Philippine Embassy in Amman, as the crisis in the region intensifies on its seventh day on Thursday.

Based on the latest Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) data, a total of 26 Filipinos are scheduled for repatriation from Israel out of the initial 179 who have requested to leave the Jewish state.

“It is still early to give an estimated number of Filipinos wishing to leave Israel via Jordan, but we are prepared to expect volumes of transiting Filipino passengers in the coming days,” Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos told the Philippine News Agency.

“These groups of Filipinos are largely overseas Filipino workers, but a few are tourists,” he added.

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Santos said Filipinos can cross the border as soon as they receive their transit visas, which are being facilitated by the Philippine Embassy in Amman in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Luggage of evacuees from Israel are seen outside a Jewish community center after they arrive from Israel to the port of Larnaca, Cyprus, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Once they arrive in Jordan, they are required to leave the Hashemite Kingdom within 48 to 72 hours from entry, like other nationals.

“The distance of the border between Jordan and Israel is actually near; the only challenge is the long lines and waiting time in the immigration counters in both borders due to the influx of stranded passengers aiming to get in within the limited operating hours of the borders,” Santos said.

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The Philippine Embassy in Amman on Wednesday received the first group of Filipinos leaving Israel after the conflict with Iran broke out.

The group, composed of nine Filipino mayors, four vice mayors, two party-list representatives, two regional directors, four Department of Agriculture officials, and one engineer, is expected to leave Jordan on Thursday night.

Israel mounted a military operation against Iran on Friday, targeting nuclear sites and killing the Iranian military’s top brass — strikes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said can last for “many days.”

The unprecedented direct attack resulted in deadly Iranian retaliatory air raids across Israel, including the densely populated capital, Tel Aviv. /dl/abc