Filipinos in Ukraine contacted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) have refused to return home to the Philippines, according to Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola.
There are currently 181 Filipinos in Ukraine that are accounted for by the DFA, said Arriola, but she stressed that this number is "very fluid."
"Ngayon 'yung 181 'yun 'yung nagparamdam talaga. 'Yun 'yung nakausap namin, alam namin kung nasaan, saka nagbigay ng kopya ng mga passports nila," she told DZRH on Sunday.
(Now, those 181 people are the ones who came to us. They are the ones who talked to us. We know their locations and they gave us a copy of their passports.)
According to the undersecretary, the people they have called to return home have refused because they did not want to leave their employers and the families they made there.
"Ayaw umuwi kasi karamihan ng mga Pilipino doon household service worker. Since mababait 'yung mga employer nila, ayaw nilang iwan, saka kung saan pupunta 'yung employer sasama sila," Arriola said.
(Many Filipinos do not want to return home because they are household service workers. Since their employers are kind, they do not want to leave them. Wherever their employer goes, they come with them.)
"'Yung iba naman po, married to Ukrainian, so 'yung mga asawa nila, hindi nila pwedeng dalhin sa Pilipinas kasi 18 to 60 years old, mandatory 'yung mga kalalakihan para mag-stay para lumaban," she added.
(Some are married to Ukrainian, so they cannot bring their partners to the Philippines, because in Ukraine, it is mandatory for 18 to 60 years old men to stay and fight.)
"So they are faced with a choice to either return home and bring siguro their children and leave their husband behind. So medyo mabigat po na desisyon 'yun, kaya po marami talagang ayaw talagang lumikas."
(So they are faced with a choice to either return home and maybe bring their children and leave their husband behind. And that’s a heavy decision, so many are refusing to evacuate.)
Arriola said the majority of the 181 accounted Filipinos in Ukraine live in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, but most of them are safe.
"They are saying na may isang grupo na nag-decide sila na magsama-sama lang sila sa isang lugar, at wait it out," the undersecretary said.
(They are saying that one group decided to come together in one area and wait it out.)
She added that these Filipinos are staying put hoping for the situation in Ukraine to get better.
"Nag-evacuate lang sila papuntang Lviv, kasi Lviv is the city next to the border. Tapos doon lang muna sila, at sabi nila titignan nila muna. 'Yung iba talaga doon lang nila gustong mag-stay kasi feeling nila medyo safe," she said.
(They evacuated to Lviv because Lviv is the city next to the border. Then they are staying there, and they said they will monitor things first. Others really want to stay there because they feel it is slightly safe.)
Meanwhile, the DFA undersecretary urged other undocumented Filipinos in Ukraine to contact them immediately, assuring that they will not be coerced to return to the Philippines.
"We will be ready to assist them in whatever way possible. We're just assuring them, hindi namin sila pipiliting umuwi kung ayaw nilang umuwi."
(We will be ready to assist them in whatever way possible. We’re just assuring them that they will not be forced to go home if they do not want to go home.)
"Saka nagbibigay po ng financial assistance at care packages ang DFA so wag po silang matakot, wag po silang mag-alala, wala po tayong pilitan dito. We just want to know where you are."
(And the DFA is providing financial assistance and care packages so they do not need to be afraid. They do not need to worry, there is no coercion here. We just want to know where you are.)
A total of six Filipinos have been repatriated to the Philippines, while 13 more are in Poland after they were evacuated there.
