Tensions between Ukraine and Russia enter its second week with no immediate end in sight. Over two million Ukrainian residents and expat workers have fled the country to seek safer grounds.
For overseas Filipino in Ukraine, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued an alert level 4 or ‘Mandatory Repatriation’ on March 7. This means the government will shoulder all the repatriation expenses for all overseas Filipinos and their dependents based in the eastern European country.
DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay explained that while the government has enforced ‘mandatory repatration’, the final decision still lies upon the overseas Filipinos whether they will choose to head home or relocate to a safer area.
“Pag sinabi naming mandatory evacuation, ito na yung warning na yung lahat ng Pilipino sa isang bansa ay kinakailangan nang lumikas at umuwi o lumikas sa mas safe na lugar. Pwede ba namin silang pilitin? Syempre hindi naman namin sila pwedeng pilitin,” said Usec. Dulay.
The DFA, through its Embassy based in Poland, has set up a temporary post at Ukraine’s city of Lviv, which is the nearest to the Polish border. As of posting time, 150 Filipinos have been repatriated back home.
Among them was Lorraine Royo, who received assistance from the Philippine government’s repatriation program. She recalled chaos after fleeing from Ukraine.
“Sobrang gulo na po. Tapos tubig lang at saka kung ano lang yung bitbit namin, yun lang (ang dala namin). Nakakatakot po kasi first time ko po na ganoon na putukan, hindi ko po alam ang gagawin ko,” said Royo.
Meanwhile, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Hans Leo Cacdac assured that the Philippine government will provide financial assistance for affected overseas Filipino workers.
“We will have financial assistance, livelihood assistance, and job referrals, be it local or overseas. We are all offering these to our OFWs in the event that they decide to return,” Cacdac said.
Opting for relocation
Not all Filipinos intend to go home in fear of not finding suitable employment. Some 136 overseas Filipinos who have earlier registered to be repatriated chose to evacuate to border countries. Of this number, 73 evacuated to Romania, 33 went to Moldova, 15 chose to head to Hungary, nine relocated to Austria, and six more opted for Poland.
Among them is Madilyn Sadon, an overseas Filipino in Ukraine who shared that her employer chose not to leave her behind and intends to continue working with her. She intends to cross the border to Hungary where her Ukrainian employer waits for her arrival.
“May employer naman ako at hindi naman ako binitawan ng employer ko so doon muna ako kasi wala wala naman akong naghihintay na trabaho diyan sa Pilipinas,” said Sadon in an interview with ANC.
A week before the mandatory repatriation order, Maria Leonora Gragasin, a household worker for four years in Kyiv, was in a shelter provided by Philippine authorities together with nine fellow OFWs. When she learned that Philippine officials have been planning to send them home, she declined the offer and chose to stay to find other opportunities in Hungary – one of the border countries near Ukraine
“Nagbook agad ako ng taxi kasi ayoko talagang umuwi. Syempre wala namang mangyayari sa amin sa Pilipinas. May mga project ako na kailangang tapusin, may pamilya ako na kailangang buhayin,” said Gragasin.
Gragasin’s sentiments were echoed by her fellow OFW Noylie Macarubbo, who only started working in Ukraine for around three months.
“We all know the expenses naman and I have a lot of responsibilities din sa Pilipinas. Uuwi ka nga ng Pilipinas, pero ano ang magiging buhay mo sa Pinas?” said Macarubbo.
For her part, Regina Fatallo who recently flew to Ukraine said that she hopes that there will be employment available for expats like her who chose to stay once the tensions subside.
“Kasi kung uuwi po kami ng Pilipinas, wala po talaga. At least kung mag-stay kami dito matapos ang hidwaan, may naghihintay pa rin po sa aming trabaho,” said Fatallo.
‘We will stay’
Lavenna Mykhailovyach, a Filipina married to a Ukrainian national, said that she chose to stay with her family amidst the tensions – but stated that supplies such as medicine and food are already running thin.
“Yung pagkain, mahirapan din po ng paghanap kasi yung malapit na mga maliliit na store namin dito either sarado na or wala na siyang stock. Kailangan naming pumunta sa malalayo pero risky po siya,” said Mykhailovyach.
She added that she cannot simply leave her family behind, especially her in-laws who are now in their senior years.
“Gustuhin ko man po, pero mahirap kasi yung in-law ko po matanda na siya at saka ayaw niya pong mag-evacuate,” said Mykhailovyach.
