Despite unrest, life goes on for Pinoys in Israel
Credit to Author: Janvic Mateo| Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800
JERUSALEM — Like many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), 37-year-old Marilou Cabaluna decided to look for a job abroad for the future of her children.
Cabaluna, who hails from Cagayan de Oro, arrived here in Israel in July 2022, two years after her originally scheduled deployment was postponed because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many OFWs in Israel, she works in the hotel industry. It was an opportunity that she had prayed for, she told The STAR in an interview.
Back then, her only idea of this country was that it was the site of the Holy Land. Two years later, she became more familiar with the intricacies of the geopolitical tension in the region.
“We were educated on why there are a lot of borders, why there are a lot of security personnel,” she said in Filipino, referring to the situation in Jerusalem, considered a holy site for some of the world’s major religions, namely Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
A year and three months into Cabaluna’s arrival in Israel, the country suffered one of worst attacks in its history.
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched a coordinated attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel, killing over a thousand and abducting hundreds of others, including some Filipinos and other foreign workers.
In the north, where Israel shares a border with Lebanon, militant group Hezbollah also intensified its rocket attacks, mostly toward the city of Haifa, escalating a conflict in existence for decades.
The attacks prompted Israel to launch a military offensive in Gaza and in southern Lebanon, a response that is drawing widespread criticism around the world as the number of civilians who had died or have been displaced continues to rise.
Jerusalem, where Cabaluna works, is located far from the areas directly affected by the attacks, but it was not spared.
On that very day of the initial attack, sirens blared in the hotel where she works.
“I feel like crying every time I remember what happened,” she said in Filipino.
“There was an alarm, and I felt like it was the end of the world. I was shaking, I don’t know what to do,” she added.
It was the first time that Cabaluna heard the siren, which signals an imminent rocket attack.
While Israel’s missile defense system is capable of intercepting such attacks, residents are required to move to shelter.
“That’s when we heard the blasts, the alarms. I really felt like it’s the end of the world,” Cabaluna recalled.
Jerusalem did not sustain any damage from those attacks, but what happened lingers in the memory of many.
Streets, which locals said used to be bustling with tourists, are mostly empty even at midday. Fewer people also visit religious sites.
“According to those who have been here for a while now, it was the first time that they had experienced an attack,” Cabaluna said.
The impact of the conflict is more evident in other areas.
For instance, in northern Israel, where the country has been in conflict with militant group Hezbollah for decades, rocket attacks are not new.
Despite the situation, Tyler de Leon, 24, said he still decided to proceed with his plan to pursue his master’s degree in biology at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, located just south of the city of Haifa.
De Leon’s family, who hails from Bacolod, left for the United Arab Emirates when he was eight. He finished his undergraduate degree in the United States.
He arrived in Israel in November 2023, a month after the attacks. He said it was an easy decision and that he knew that it was going to be safe.
“I decided to come here despite what happened during the Oct. 7 attack because I really wanted to continue my research. I need to do this before I go back to the US to pursue my PhD,” he told The STAR.
“When I got here, Hezbollah was not firing a lot of missiles, especially in Haifa and in the north. Back then, we didn’t have any sirens. The sirens actually started a few months ago,” he added.
Despite being physically safe, De Leon recognized the mental toll of the situation.
“Before the ceasefire happened, there would literally be rockets and sirens all throughout the day. You wouldn’t even know when they would arrive because they would fire them at random times,” he said.
“There were a lot of instances I was sleeping at night, and then we would be awakened by sirens and then go to class the next day… That would really have a great mental impact on you,” he added.
The university where he studies provides various kinds of support to those who are affected, according to De Leon.
“I’m quite used to a lot of mental stress, especially since when I was in college… It’s fine by me. Most of the students here who go through stress go to counseling service offered by Technion,” he added.
The situation has improved in recent months, especially with the 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, according to the Philippine embassy in Israel.
“Filipinos here are generally calm, they are secure and they are satisfied with the situation here… They are very confident in Israel’s ability to defend itself, its people and its territory,” Charge d’Affaires Anthony Achilles Mandap told The STAR in a separate interview.
There are about 30,000 OFWs in Israel, mostly working in hotels and as caregivers.
Those who live in conflict areas, including in Gaza, that had been the target of Israel’s intensified attacks, had been evacuated and are either working in other areas or have been repatriated to the Philippines.
Mandap said only a little over 1,000 have availed themselves of the government’s repatriation program, with many deciding to stay.
Among the latter is Cabaluna, who said she is ready to leave, but only if there is a directive for mandatory repatriation.
“If the government says that we have to be repatriated, then we will be repatriated. But right now, we just have to keep fighting. That is our mindset. We never considered going home voluntarily,” she said.
“Based on our experience right now, we are safe and there is no threat. You can also see that in people here. Everything is normal and life goes on despite what happened,” she added.
Mandap said they might even recommend easing of the Philippines’ travel warning to Israel if the ceasefire holds up and the situation does not deteriorate.
The current alert level restricts non-essential travel and bars the deployment of new OFWs into Israel.
The Philippine embassy also assured the safety of Filipinos in Israel, saying they are ready to provide assistance, if necessary.
“We have contingency plans in place that we can execute at any moment’s notice. We have arranged services that we can provide, including repatriation, if they decide to leave for the Philippines under these conditions,” Mandap said.
Cabaluna said she is in regular contact with her family to assure them of her safety.
“Over time, you will get used to it,” she added, referring to security concerns. “We’ll just go with the flow – for now. That’s what’s on our mind.”