KAKAMMPI News

MANILA — US and Philippine defense chiefs on Friday said they would "increase the pace and scope" of their engagements, following China's alleged "unlawful" actions that led to two collisions in the West Philippine Sea. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III and Filipino counterpart Gilberto Teodoro Jr. earlier Friday discussed in a call the Chinese coast guard and militia vessels' "dangerous and unlawful maneuvers" that caused collisions with Philippine resupply and Coast Guard ships, Manila's defense department said. Austin and Teodoro "reaffirmed that the Mutual Defense Treaty extends to both countries’ public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces—to include the Coast Guard—anywhere in the Pacific to include the South China Sea," the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) said. The pact states the two countries will come to each other's defense in case their metropolitan areas or territories are attacked. "Bo...

Palestinians in Gaza were told to move to south for their own safety by the Israeli military but shells are falling on the southern city of Khan Younis, where hundreds of people were searching for bodies after Israeli strikes on Thursday. Around midday on Thursday, according to officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Israel bombed an area not far from an UNRWA shelter for displaced people, killing at least 18 people and causing panic among the displaced. Hamas's Al-Aqsa radio station earlier reported that Nasser hospital received the bodies of 77 people killed in air strikes overnight, most of them women and children. Israel did not respond directly to the report but said its forces had struck a Hamas missile launch post in the Khan Younis area that was next to a mosque and kindergarten. It was not clear if both sides were referring to the same incident. UNRWA has set up new tents in Khan Younis. But with the border closure and no ceasefire the agency is in increasingly de...

Philippine health authorities recorded an additonal 1,146 COVID-19 cases in the week of October 16-22, which is 8 percent lower than the previous week's total. Of the 1,146 new cases, 22 are severe and critical. The Department of Health also recorded 9 patients dying of COVID-19 from October 9 to 22. ICU bed utilization in the entire Philippines is currently at 11.8 percent or 173 out of 1,465 ICU beds. DOH said it monitored 221 severe and critical admissions or 8.1 percent of total COVID-19 admissions as of October 22.

NEW YORK — Philippine Consulate General Office here is currently establishing whether there were Filipinos affected by Wednesday's mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine, that left over a dozen people dead. In a message to GMA Integrated News, Consul General Senen Mangalile said they are in contact with Filipino community leaders in Maine regarding the situation. "We are currently in touch with Filipino community leaders in Maine to ascertain if any Filipino was affected by the active shooter situation," Mangalile said. "We will be grateful if anyone with direct knowledge of the matter gets in touch with us the usual way. We will continue to monitor the situation," he added. At least 22 people were killed and 50 to 60 were wounded in mass shootings at multiple locations including a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, according to NBC News, citing a Lewiston police source. The Lewiston Police Department on Facebook identified a person of interest in the m...

GAZA/JERUSALEM — Israel said on Tuesday it had killed dozens of Hamas fighters overnight in strikes on Gaza and indicated that it had no intention of easing its bombardment of the besieged Palestinian enclave. The United States urged Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, trapped in a humanitarian crisis after two weeks of intense Israeli attacks. But there appeared to be little prospect of a ceasefire any time soon in the bloodiest episode in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades. The Palestinian health ministry said more than 5,000 people have been killed in Gaza by two weeks of Israeli air strikes unleashed in response to a Hamas attack. The Islamist militant group killed more than 1,400 people—mostly civilians—in a single day. Hamas on Monday freed two Israeli women who were among the more than 200 hostages taken during the group's Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel. They were the third and fourth hostages to be released. Israeli tanks and troops are massed on the border...

UNITED NATIONS — United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded on Tuesday for civilians to be protected in the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants, voicing concern about "clear violations of international humanitarian law" in the Gaza Strip. More than 700 Palestinians were killed in overnight Israeli air strikes, Gaza's health ministry said, the highest 24-hour death toll since Israel began a bombing campaign to crush Hamas militants who stunned the country with a deadly Oct. 7 attack. Guterres told the 15-member UN Security Council that at a "crucial moment like this," it was vital to be clear that war has rules, starting with the fundamental principle of respecting and protecting civilians. "It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation," Guterres said. "But the grievances of the Palestinian people ...

WASHINGTON - US President Joe Biden and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman held a call on Tuesday to discuss the war between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, the White House said in a statement. They agreed on pursuing broader diplomatic efforts "to maintain stability across the region and prevent the conflict from expanding," the White House said, adding the two leaders will remain in close coordination directly and through their teams over the coming period. Biden and the Saudi crown prince welcomed the delivery of humanitarian assistance from Egypt into Gaza and recognized that "much more is needed for civilians" to have sustained access to food, water and medical assistance, according to the White House. They both welcomed ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and called for their immediate release, the White House added. Gulf states including Saudi Arabia worry a wider conflict would affect their national sec...

UNITED NATIONS - Russia and China on Wednesday vetoed a US-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution on the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while a rival Russian-drafted text failed to win the minimum number of votes. The U.S. draft aimed to address a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for pauses the violence to allow aid access. The United Arab Emirates also voted no, while 10 members voted in favor and Brazil and Mozambique abstained. The council then voted on a Russian-drafted resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire. Only Russia, China, the UAE and Gabon voted in favor of the draft, while nine members abstained and the United States and Britain voted no. A resolution needs at least nine votes and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to be adopted. The votes came after the council twice voted unsuccessfully last week - only five members voted in favor of a Russian draft resolution o...

Israelis are appealing to their government to implement measures to rescue the hostages of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which include a 33-year-old Filipino, according to JP Soriano's report on Unang Balita on Thursday. The report said Israelis have been holding protests to call on their government to take the hostages out of Gaza, a Hamas stronghold, without anyone getting hurt. A Reuters report on Wednesday said the Israeli government has confirmed that two Filipinos were among the estimated 220 hostages currently held by Hamas. But according to the JP Soriano in his report, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv has yet to receive official confirmation that Filipinos are among those held hostage by Hamas. Among the photos of those abducted by Hamas presented during a press conference of the Israeli Foreign Ministry was that of a missing Filipino identified as Jimmy Gelienor Pacheco. Clarice, Pacheco’s wife, earlier said she saw in the videos circulating on social media...

A total 5,325 OFW beneficiaries have received assistance from the Department of Migrant Workers this year, the DMW said Thursday. During a hearing of the Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs at the House of Representatives on Thursday, DMW Acting Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said that P414 million of the department’s P1.2-billion action fund has been used to provide assistance to repatriated OFWs from the Turkey earthquake, the conflict in Sudan, the catastrophes in the Middle East, and the Israel-Hamas conflicts in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. Cacdac said that the budget was spent on legal, medical and humanitarian assistance for OFWs. He added that repatriates were able to receive P30,000 in financial assistance upon return, with repatriates coming from war zones receiving P50,000. “May balanse pa tayong around P780 million. Meron po tayong catch-up plan na sinasagawa for the last two months of the year. Most of these funds will be rolled over to 2024 anyway, at plano naman po nati...

More job opportunities for overseas Filipino workers have opened in Austria following the signing of a memorandum of agreement on the employment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers there, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday. Under the MOU, 500 Filipino workers will be deployed annually to address Austria’s demand of around 75,000 to 200,000 job openings across all industries, including sectors of healthcare, construction and engineering, information technology, and tourism and hospitality. DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo J. Cacdac signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Austrian Federal Ministry for Labor and Economy (BMAW) State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler. “Through this agreement, we aim to facilitate the deployment of Filipino professionals and skilled workers to Austria in a manner that is safe, ethical, sustainable, and mutually beneficial. Our workers, in return, will contribute to addressing labor shortage in Austria and to sharing th...

Humanitarian aid continued to pour into the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday after the first trucks carrying the much needed food and medicine supplies were allowed to pass the Rafah Crossing Border over the weekend. At least 20 more trucks were cleared for passage on Monday but they were not allowed to bring in fuel supplies, Raffy Tima reported Tuesday on “24 Oras." “The UN Relief and Works Agency, (UNRWA) tells us that they will exhaust their fuel supplies, fuel reserves, within the coming days,” said UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Several countries have also delivered aid to Gaza through the El Irish Airport of Egypt. The said aid is likewise expected to be transferred to the vital border. The Philippine Embassy in Cairo said it is awaiting when the Egyptian government will green-light the passage of foreign nationals including Filipinos across the border. The Philippine Embassy in Jordan likewise said it is waiting for the go-signal for the repatriat...

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) showed GMA Integrated News what's inside a bomb shelter that has saved lives during the Hamas rampage and missile attacks in Israel. “Bakal po talaga siya. Isasarado po namin na ganito as in ise-seal siya and then po iko-close ‘yung door then nandito po lahat meron pong ilaw dito may hangin,” the OFW said in JP Soriano’s Wednesday report on “24 Oras." (It is made entirely of steel. We seal it and here, we have light and air.) “Ang sabi po kasi sa amin as long as sarado po ang bakal safe kami,” she said. (We were told we’ll remain safe as long as the steel door is locked.) “Automatic daw po pag talagang nag close na meron daw pong lalabas na mga hangin-hangin…May inistock na po kaming tubig mga pagkain nila nandyan po sila, mga tinapay. Emergency po kumbaga, mga stock na biscuit, tulong-tulong po kami. Tapos pag tumakbo kami dito lagi po namin dala yung aming emergency kit yung may gamot,” she added. (They said air will automatically blow...

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to their alliance following China’s dangerous maneuvers during a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea. According to a White House readout, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke with Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año after Chinese vessels hit a Philippine resupply boat and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. “Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Año reaffirmed the enduring alliance and friendship between our nations and discussed upcoming U.S.-Philippine engagements and ways to further strengthen our close partnership,” the statement read. “Mr. Sullivan emphasized the ironclad U.S. alliance commitments to the Philippines under the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which extends to armed attacks on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces—to include those of its Coast Guard—in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea,” it added. Manila and Beijing have tra...

MANILA, Philippines — United States President Joe Biden said that Washington’s defense commitment to Manila is “ironclad” after collisions between Chinese and Philippine vessels. In a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Wednesday, Biden said that Chinese vessels “acted dangerously and unlawfully” during a Philippine resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea. “I want to be very clear: The United States’ defense commitment to the Philippines is ironclad,” Biden said. “Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines,” he added, referring to the pact signed in 1951. The national security advisers of the US and the Philippines earlier reaffirmed their alliance after Chinese vessels hit a Philippine resupply boat and a Philippine Coast Guard vessel. No Filipino crew members were injured, but one of the supply boats was damaged and forced to return. A second supply boat reach...

Just recently installed to his four-star rank, the military leadership qualities of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. got tested anew in the face of the renewed challenges in our maritime territorial borders in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Still refusing to recognize the arbitration ruling that dismissed Beijing’s “nine-dash” claims, Chinese Coast Guard ships “intentionally” bumped from behind our country’s flagship vessel on a resupply mission in Ayungin Shoal last Sunday. Brawner admitted getting “worried” at how the continuing tension in the WPS was stepped up by “the dangerous maneuvers, very aggressive and illegal” activities of the Chinese Coast Guard and militia ships into the 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the Philippines territorial waters. But the AFP Chief of Staff remains unfazed by the saber rattling by one of the world powers. Brawner was appointed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) as AFP Chief of S...

GENEVA, Switzerland — The World Health Organization on Wednesday called for Hamas to provide proof of life of the hostages it is holding and release them all on health grounds. The WHO said the International Committee of the Red Cross should be allowed immediate medical access to ascertain their health status, while it stands ready to provide the ICRC with any health support required for the hostages. Israel has been bombarding since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across the border killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 222 others, officials say, in the worst attack in Israel's history. So far, more than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, and there are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely-expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages. The WHO said it was "gravely concerned" for the health of the hostages, which, it said, include health workers and up to 30 children....

WASHINGTON, United States — China's top diplomat will pay a rare visit to Washington this week, the United States announced Monday, paving the way for a potential visit by President Xi Jinping aimed at keeping tensions in check. Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the highest-ranking Chinese official in the US capital in nearly five years, will visit from Thursday through Saturday against a backdrop of friction over trade, Ukraine, the Middle East, Taiwan and China's assertive actions at sea near the Philippines. A senior US official said the trip was part of efforts between the world's two largest economies to "responsibly manage our competition." "We continue to believe that direct face-to-face diplomacy is the best way to raise challenging issues, address misperception and miscommunication, and explore working with the Chinese where our interests intersect," he said on customary condition of anonymity. Wang will be returning a visit in June to Beijing by Se...

DOHA, Qatar — Qatari negotiators playing a lead role in efforts to free hostages seized by Hamas from Israel are hopeful of securing more releases, a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. The Gulf state has been engaged in intense diplomacy behind the scenes and secured the release of four hostages held by the Palestinian militants following their October 7 attack on Israel. Majed al-Ansari said Qatar's negotiators were "hopeful for further releases" with talks ongoing with Israel and Hamas. There was "more openness on political will between the two sides" after the release of two elderly Israeli women on Monday night, the spokesman told AFP. But Ansari, who also serves as an adviser to Qatar's Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, cautioned that amid escalating violence in Gaza there was "more difficulty on the logistics of getting people out". Israel has been left reeling after Hamas militants stormed across the Gaza...

AFP / OTTAWA, Canada — Canada on Monday warned of a "Spamouflage" disinformation campaign linked to China that used waves of online posts and deepfake videos manipulated to try to disparage and discredit Canadian lawmakers. The Global Affairs department said in a statement it had "detected a 'Spamouflage' campaign connected to the People's Republic of China." The bot network, according to the government ministry, left thousands of messages on the social media accounts of dozens of members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, accusing them of criminal and ethical violations. It started in early August and scaled up in September, it said, with the aim of "discrediting and denigrating the targeted MPs" and "silencing criticism of the CCP," or Chinese Communist Party. This comes after tech giant Meta said in an August security report it had purged thousands of Facebook and Inst...

PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES — A UN agency warned dwindling fuel supplies could force it to stop aid operations in war-riven Gaza on Wednesday, as calls mounted for a humanitarian "pause" in fighting. After 18 days of withering Israeli air strikes and a near-total land, sea and air blockade of the Palestinian territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned operations were at breaking point. "If we do not get fuel urgently, we will be forced to halt our operations in the Gaza Strip," said the UN agency, which provides aid to 600,000 displaced Gazans. Israel launched its assault on Gaza in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas militants on October 7. Gunmen from the Palestinian group poured into Israel from Gaza, killing more than 1,400 people and taking 222 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to "eliminate Hamas" and ensure it can no longer threaten Israeli c...

Handout / Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense / AFP TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan said Thursday that a Chinese flotilla led by the Shandong aircraft carrier had entered the Pacific Ocean via the Bashi Channel, a waterway that separates the island from the Philippines. Democratic Taiwan has seen a ramp-up in military and political pressures in recent years from Beijing, which considers the island its territory and has vowed to seize it one day -- by force if necessary. Taipei's Ministry of National Defense reports near-daily warplane incursions by the Chinese military, which in the past year has carried out massive wargame exercises around Taiwan's waters. On Thursday the ministry said that China's "Shandong Carrier Strike Group crossed the Bashi Channel today and entered the Western Pacific". Taiwan's military has "monitored the situation and tasked appropriate forces to respond", it said. Earlier in the day, the ministry said it had detected ...

MANILA, Philippines — “The morning of October 7th was a very dark hour for humanity. But amongst all the darkness, there is Camille’s story,” Emanuel Miller, a media analyst in Israel, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Camille Jesalva, 31, came to Israel from the Philippines five years ago. She takes care of Nitza, a 95-year-old woman in Kibbutz Nirim. Like their neighbors, the two woke up that morning to the sound of a heavy barrage of incoming rocket and mortar fire, and they sought cover in their bomb shelter. Shortly before 8 a.m. Jesalva began to hear people talking outside. Having previously worked in Dubai, she realized that these were not Israeli soldiers conversing in Hebrew, but Palestinians speaking in Arabic. She tried to close the bomb shelter window, but had no luck. Moments later, she found herself face to face with Hamas. Jesalva was supposed to fly out from Israel two days later in order to visit her son, and had in her purse 1,500 shekels (about $370), which...

MANILA, Philippines — China will be made to answer for the “innumerable and immeasurable” damage it has inflicted on the Philippine environment, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday as he bared the administration’s decision to proceed with the filing of an environment case against Beijing before an international tribunal. “We were encouraged to pursue what we think is a good case to pursue on behalf not only of the Filipino people but the rest of humanity. It’s just a matter of organizing the evidence and showing it to the proper tribunal,” Remulla said at a press briefing. A similar case – labeled as crime against humanity – filed by former ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario against Chinese President Xi Jinping was junked by the International Criminal Court in 2019, citing lack of jurisdiction. The decision to push through with the filing of a case came after Remulla’s meeting with Philippine Coast Guard-West ...

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment on Sunday reminded employers of the proper payment of wages for workers who will report to work on the upcoming holidays. In an interview with Radyo 630, DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said that October 30, November 1 and 2 are special non-working holidays, which means the "no work, no pay" rule will be applied. DOLE issued last week an advisory specifying the the wage computation for the upcoming special non-working holidays. Workers will receive compensation based on the following rules: If the employee did not work, the “no work, no pay” principle shall apply, unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement granting payment on a special day. For work done during the special day, he/she shall be paid an additional 30% of his/her basic wage on the first eight hours of work (basic wage x 130%). For work done over eight hours (overtime work), the employee shall be paid ...

STAR / File MANILA, Philippines — The spokesperson for the police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) was relieved from her post amid the livestreaming by vlogger Rendon Labador of a raid on an online lending company in Makati on Oct. 20. In a statement to reporters covering the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday, ACG director Brig. Gen. Sidney Hernia said Capt. Michelle Sabino would be doing administrative work at Camp Crame. Hernia said they are looking for Sabino’s replacement. Sabino’s ouster as the ACG mouthpiece came after Labador livestreamed on his Facebook account the raid on the lending firm accused of harassing clients who are unable to pay their loans. Labador also interviewed Sabino during his livestream. It turned out that Labador and Sabino had a collaboration for a public service initiative to help people who are victims of crimes. PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. had ordered the ACG to explain how Labador ended up joining the police operation.

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu province will be the first to sell rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) at P20 per kilo, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia announced Wednesday. Garcia made the announcement, which if implemented will “fulfill President Ferdinand Marcos’ campaign promise”, during a formal meeting of all mayors of the province at the Cebu capitol building The Cebu governor stressed that her province will be the first to sell NFA rice at P20 per kilo. The sale, subsidized by the province, will be offered first to indigent families. “It will be Cebu that will be the first to be able to sell NFA rice at P20 per kilo, fulfilling the President's promise,” Governor Garcia announced amid the rice harvest season. The Cebu provincial government allocated a budget of P100 million to buy NFA rice, in line with President Marcos’ program for the NFA to buy palay at a higher farmgate price. To recall, farmers’ groups across the country expressed satisfaction with Malacanang's dir...

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has approved the proposal to establish a coordinating council that will oversee the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act in the country, the chief of the health department said Tuesday. Department of Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said that the UHC coordinating council aims to address the fragmentation of the country’s health system. “The council will serve as a national governance body that will oversee the implementation of Universal Health Care Act nationwide, the project and estimate total national cost for UHC and also implementation of the Universal Health Care at local government level,” Herbosa said during a Palace briefing. “We’ll standardize health policies… It will serve as the venue to discuss relevant concerns that might be raised during the implementation of the UHC,” he added. The DOH will serve as the chair of the coordinating council, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government ...

JERUSALEM -- French President Emmanuel Macron was Tuesday set to become the first Western leader to visit both Israel's premier and the Palestinian president, more than two weeks into the brutal Gaza conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. As Israel battles Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas after suffering the worst attack in its 75-year history, Macron visited to express solidarity but also to stress the need to protect Gaza's civilian population in the withering bombing campaign since. Hamas in its October 7 attack on southern Israel killed more than 1,400 people and took over 200 hostages, Israeli officials say. Retaliatory air and artillery strikes since then have killed over 5,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-ruled health ministry. Israeli strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip overnight killed another 140 people, Hamas said after the militant group released two more of the Israeli and foreign hostages it abducted. UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Monday urged ...

HONG KONG, China — Hong Kong leader John Lee said Wednesday that the semi-autonomous city would create its own national security law in 2024, four years after Beijing imposed sweeping legislation aimed at silencing dissent. Massive pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms and more autonomy from mainland China. In response, Beijing imposed a national security law to punish four major crimes -- secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces -- with sentences ranging up to life in prison. Security chief turned leader Lee said during his second-ever policy address on Wednesday that the government would "continue to safeguard national security and improve its relevant legal system and enforcement mechanisms". "The government is pressing ahead to draw up effective legislative options and will complete the legislative exercise in 2024 to fulfil our constitu...

It won’t take long before the first batch of Filipinos departing from Lebanon to arrive in the Philippines as flight booking and other means of transportation are already being prepared for them, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday. DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said that they are trying their best to evacuate the Filipinos out of Lebanon as soon as possible, considering the rising tension between Israel and Hezbollah militants. “Our labor attaché had undertaken community outreach and is currently listing those willing to be repatriated. There are currently flight bookings being arranged and it won’t take long and we will have our first batch of repatriates out of Lebanon as well,” he said in a CNN Philippines interview. It was on Saturday, October 21, when the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised Alert Level 3 in Lebanon, meaning repatriation for Filipinos there is voluntary. Cacdac said that there are also other avenues for the repatriation of Fil...

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said Wednesday that they will continue following up on the settlement of the unpaid salaries of more than 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia. Cacdac said they hope that the payment of claims will be done "soon." “From our talks with our own counterparts there…we were also informed that the Ministry of Finance is on board to take care of the financial matters because this would involve disbursement of funds,” Cacdac said in an interview on CNN Philippines. “It’s just hard to pin down a timeline at this point because the Saudi processes still continue. In principle, we respect the Saudi processes, and at the same time we’ll continue to persist in terms of coordination and follow-ups with the Saudi government,” he added. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia assured him that the settlement of the OFWs’ unpaid wages was already being processed. Sa...

The Philippine Embassy in Israel said temporary shelters for rescued Filipinos from the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas are starting to run short. In JP Soriano’s Tuesday report on “24 Oras,” Consul General and Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Mandap said they are currently looking for facilities to house those who escaped from the violence. "Sa ngayon ang ka-kumpitensya natin yung kanilang armed forces eh kasi maraming hotel parang sine sequester na nila para magamit ng mga sundalo kaya medyo nangangamba kami na baka maubusan tayo, mabuti may mga options tayo na ganito," Mandap said. Israel is home to 30,000 Filipinos, with most of them situated in Tel Aviv — one of the most populated cities in the country. It remains under Alert 2 which entails restriction of non-essential movements, avoiding places of protest, and preparation for possible evacuation. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed there were a total of 135 Filipinos in Gaza, w...

The Philippine Embassy in Israel said temporary shelters for rescued Filipinos from the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas are starting to run short. In JP Soriano’s Tuesday report on “24 Oras,” Consul General and Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Mandap said they are currently looking for facilities to house those who escaped from the violence. "Sa ngayon ang ka-kumpitensya natin yung kanilang armed forces eh kasi maraming hotel parang sine sequester na nila para magamit ng mga sundalo kaya medyo nangangamba kami na baka maubusan tayo, mabuti may mga options tayo na ganito," Mandap said. Israel is home to 30,000 Filipinos, with most of them situated in Tel Aviv — one of the most populated cities in the country. It remains under Alert 2 which entails restriction of non-essential movements, avoiding places of protest, and preparation for possible evacuation. Data from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed there were a total of 135 Filipinos in Gaza, w...

Three Filipinos are still in war-torn Gaza City despite the implementation of a mandatory evacuation by the Philippine government under Alert Level 4, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday. “We’d like to correct something we’ve been saying. We’ve been saying all Filipinos have been evacuated to the south. There are apparently still three Filipino nationals in Gaza City, including a father and child who are in the hospital. So, that’s a concern,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega said in an ANC interview. The DFA placed Gaza City under Alert Level 4 on October 15 amid the ground offensive of Israeli forces against Hamas militants there. The agency back then said that some Filipinos were situated near the Rafah border crossing near Egypt, while the rest have left northern Gaza or Gaza City, which is expected to be the main site for hostilities. “Everywhere is critical… Of course, the southern part is where it's supposed to be safer bu...

The 136 Filipinos in Gaza affected by the war between Israel and the Hamas group have remained safe and accounted for as they await repatriation and make do with limited food and water, Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos said Tuesday. Santos said that these Filipinos are still stranded in Gaza pending the opening of the Rafah Border Crossing for evacuees. Rafah is the main route in and out of the Gaza Strip that is not controlled by Israel. “Lahat sila hindi pa makaalis dahil sarado pa ‘yung Rafah Border Crossing. Pero inaasahan namin na since nagbukas na ang border crossing na ‘yan to allow humanitarian aid from Egypt to Gaza, susunod na sana sa madaling panahon ang pagbukas ng border para makalikas at makatawid na ang ating mga kababayan,” the ambassador said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview. (All of them have not yet left because the Rafah Border Crossing is still closed. But we hope that since the border crossing has opened to allow humanitarian aid from Egypt to Ga...

Over a hundred more Filipinos in Israel have requested government assistance to return to the Philippines amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said Tuesday. Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Cacdac said that the DMW is currently processing the repatriation requests of 120 Filipinos. “When I say process, tinatawagan ng pangalawa at tatlong beses at sinisiguro na gusto nilang makauwi. Pangalawa, sinisiguro natin na…finished contract. So talagang scheduled na talaga umuwi, nadatnan lang ng mga pangyayari,” he said. (When I say process, we are calling them twice or thrice to make sure that they really want to go home. Second, we are ensuring that they’ve finished their contract and that they’re really scheduled to go home.) “‘Yung iba, sinisigurado natin na…maayos ang paghihiwalay with their employers at hindi may lamat o may samaan ng loob o abandonment ng trabaho,” he added. (As for others, we...

While fearing for their safety, several Filipinos opted to stay in Israel for their jobs despite the ongoing conflict in the country, JP Soriano reported on “24 Oras” Monday. Amid the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, overseas Filipino workers (OFW) Ricasol Atregeno, Rosielyn Asistores and Princess Joy Palad said they chose not to be repatriated for fear of losing employment should they return to the Philippines. “'Yung nanay ko nagda-dialysis. Dito ako kumukuha kasi single mother ako. Parang kung uuwi kami, iniisip namin 'san kami?' Back to zero kami,” Atregeno said. (My mother is undergoing dialysis. This is my only livelihood. I am also a single mother. What will happen to us if we go home? We’ll go back to zero.) Asistores shared the sentiment, saying: “Kung sakali man na umuwi kami 'yung mandatory na. Kami pa rin 'yung babalik. May kasiguraduhan na kami pa rin 'yung kukuhanin, di sila kukuha ng iba. Kasi ito lang 'yung ina...

Over the last 24 hours, the bombardment has intensified, with the majority of the casualties being civilians. Israeli air attacks continue to pound the Gaza Strip. On Saturday night, strikes hit a popular cafe in Khan Younis and a restaurant in a bustling market area as people were buying food, leaving several casualties. Over the last 24 hours, the bombardment has intensified. The majority of casualties – along with those injured and brought to hospitals – are civilians, with a significant number of them being children and women. Israel has warned more than one million residents of the northern part of Gaza to move south for their safety, and the United Nations says more than half the enclave’s population is now internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are believed to be trapped in and around Gaza City in the north, unwilling or unable to leave. Israeli air attacks continue to pound the Gaza Strip. On Saturday night, strikes hit a popular cafe in Khan Younis and a...