Alert Level 2 eyed in Israel

Ban on deployment of OFWs still in effect

- RAYMUND ANTONIO

The deployment ban on overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Israel remains in effect although an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said there is already a recommendation to lower the crisis alert level from 3 (voluntary repatriation) to 2 (restriction phase) in Tel Aviv.

However, DFA Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Germinia Aguilar-Usudan said on Thursday, June 26, that there is no similar recommendation for Iran, which will remain under alert level 3.

"For Israel, there is already a recommendation to lower it to alert level 2. But we still have to get the approval of the secretary," she said, adding that the recommendation came from Philippine Ambassador to Israel Aileen Mendiola-Rau.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said that lowering the alert level 2 in Israel could be one of the last things Secretary Enrique Manalo does, as secretary, as he will be the incoming Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.