‘Text brigades’ formed for Filipinos in Israel

For Filipino workers in Israel, cellular phones are not just mere gadgets but "weapons’’ to protect themselves from hostilities.

Following the death of a Filipina worker in a bomb explosion in Haifa, Israel, the Philippine government has organized so-called "text brigades’’ as one of the contingency measures to ensure the safety of the 30,000 Filipino workers in that country.

Israel-based labor attaché Jeffrey Cortazar said the text brigades will be tapped once the need to evacuate Filipino workers to safer grounds arises.

"Since almost every Filipino worker in the Middle East country has a cellular phone, Philippine officials thought of texting as the best method to disseminate important information to the 21 Filipino associations and their members,’’ Cortazar said.

Filipinos have developed a fondness for Short Messaging Service or "texting," thus Cortazar said the Philippine Embassy in Israel thought of harnessing this for safety measures.

"Almost all of the OFWs have purchased mobile phones, making text messaging the fastest, most efficient, cheapest and practical way of sending out information to overseas workers,’’ Cortazar explained.

He added that 98 percent of the OFWs there are caregivers and working at home so there is no other way to inform them of any possible evacuation except through text messaging.

Cortazar said the text brigades were formed immediately after the death of Filipina caregiver Rosalia Reyes in an explosion that also injured four other OFWs.

One of those injured identified as Maricar Vivas is set to undergo an operation to remove the shrapnel in her left eye. The Israel government is shouldering all expenses for the treatment of the explosion victims.

If the conflict between Palestine and Israel heightens, Cortazar said the 21 association of OFWs were advised to wait for instructions from the Philippine Embassy. The association will then relay the messages through text to their members.

At present, the OFWs are just being advised to remain calm. Cortazar gave assurances that the Philippines has already put in place contingency measures to ensure the Filipinos’ safety.

He said the Philippine government has already made arrangements with a shipping company that would ferry out OFWs to Cyprus where the embassy also has jurisdiction.