Meeting with the Philippine Ambassador to Israel: The Philippines Love

I arrived at the private home of the Philippine Ambassador to Israel, Eileen Mendiola, as part of a media invitation she initiated (through Imri Kalman of the Terranova company, who organized the event). The intention was to hold a face-to-face meeting and open dialogue for mutual acquaintance between representatives of the Israeli media in all its branches and the Ambassador, and through her, also an acquaintance with the Philippines.

In the center of the spacious and beautifully designed lounge in the Ambassador's home hangs a picture—a painting of Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina (in Filipino: Manuel Luis Quezon y Molina), born August 19, 1878, and died August 1, 1944. He was a statesman, army officer, and served as the President of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1935-1944. He was the first Filipino to head a unified government and is considered the second President of the Philippines, after Emilio Aguinaldo. Why am I mentioning this? Because he deserved to be recognized as 'Righteous Among the Nations' for his actions in saving Jews during World War II.

In the late 1930s, Philippine President Manuel Quezon granted asylum to more than 1,200 (some estimate 1,300) Jews from Germany and Austria in the island nation in the Pacific Ocean, at a time when most countries in the world closed their doors to Jewish refugees. Those Jews, who were nicknamed 'Manilaners', fled Hitler and reached the capital of the Philippines, Manila. Had it not been for the intervention of the United States government, thousands more Jews could have been saved, because Quezon wanted to bring tens of thousands of Jews to the Philippines and settle them permanently on the island of Mindanao, but his efforts were blocked. A film about his life was screened yesterday (Thursday) at the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem, and in the city of Rishon LeZion, a monument was erected commemorating the acceptance of Jewish refugees to the Philippines by his order.

Ambassador Eileen Mendiola began her service in Israel in April 2025, after representing her country for 33 years in the diplomatic service, experiencing three continents: Singapore in Asia, China in East Asia, France in Europe, and now Israel in the Middle East. She was born in the city of Angeles (ANGELES) located on Luzon Island, north of Manila, about an hour and a half drive away. The city of Angeles, Philippines, has no access to the sea and is famous mainly for its nightlife. There is also a Chabad house in Angeles. As part of the rich refreshments served to us, representing Philippine culinary culture, there was also a dish of Biringhe—one of her mother's recipes, which is a dish made of rice combined with chicken, banana, nuts, and coconut. Interesting and delicious.

The Philippines is an island nation (archipelago) in the western Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 km southeast of the Asian continent. It is a magical world of 7,641 islands, most of which are uninhabited and covered in wild jungle. In the Philippines, there are 21 active volcanoes and one of the longest coastlines in the world with crystal-clear blue-green water; exotic islands with white sand and coconut palms; beaches for surfing among the best in the world; vast areas of rice fields; natural treasures and a rich culture; spectacular waterfalls; rainforests; a tropical climate; beautiful coral reefs and a spectacular underwater world with tropical fish—a paradise for diving enthusiasts.

Most of the population in the Philippines is Catholic-Christian, which is why we encounter pilgrim-tourism from the Philippines in Israel. Jews have settled in the Philippine islands since the 16th century. Today, there is a small Jewish community in these islands of about 200 families who immigrated from the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Argentina, and Israel. Most are business people who live in the capital of the island, Manila, for business reasons, while only a few of the island's Jews are members of families from previous generations. Israelis have not yet truly discovered the tourism potential of the Philippines, so now is the time...