Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed deep gratitude to the Philippine Embassy in Israel and other government agencies for ensuring the safe return of four Department of Agriculture (DA) officials who were stranded in Israel after renewed tensions with Iran.
“We welcome back home the DA delegation led by Assistant Secretary Benjamin Albarece, who went to Israel on mission to study the Israeli dairy industry. We are happy that all of you are safely back with your families and the DA family,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said.
Also in the study mission were Philippine Carabao Center Executive Director Liza Battad and National Dairy Authority officials Rowena Bautista and Angelica Escanilla.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered various government agencies to assist Filipinos living and working, both in Israel and Iran, who want to go back to the Philippines.
The delegation was originally scheduled to return to the Philippines on June 14 after a week-long study mission. However, their flight was canceled due to regional airspace disruptions and escalating uncertainty caused by recent hostilities.
The DA officials were housed at Hotel Kibbutz Shefayim in central Israel, where they endured multiple missile and bomb alerts during their extended stay. Despite the tense conditions, the Philippine Embassy in Israel and MASHAV—Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation—worked swiftly to ensure their safe and prompt repatriation.
The study mission was part of the DA’s broader efforts to explore best practices in dairy production and technology, aiming to strengthen the Philippines’ own dairy sector.
