Left in Gaza, Filipina grandmother asks for prayers for kin

A Filipina grandmother in Khan Yunis has found herself and her loved ones in what appears to be a ghost town where those left behind have no food, electricity, or transportation.

"Ako si Revelina Cargolio po. Nandito po sa Gaza, dito sa Khan Yunis po. Ito po nakikita niyo naman po, wala kaming sasakyan, wala kaming kuryente, walang mabiling pagkain," she said in a video aired in a "24 Oras" report.

(I am Revelina Cargolio, I am in Gaza, here in Khan Yunis, you can see, we don't have any vehicles, we don't have electricity, and there is no place to buy food.)

She is worried that her family’s food supply will soon run out.

“Meron naman akong tindahan na maliit na tindahan ang kaso po wala ng laman. Baka maubos na ito. Hindi ko alam saan po kami kukuha ng makakain po," Revelina said.

(I have a small store but the stocks are bare. Our food is almost gone. I don't know where we can get anything to eat.)

Ravelina, her daughter, and her grandson were supposed to leave Gaza to cross into Egypt on Tuesday night.

However, they did not push through with their departure because they could not leave her son, a person with Down Syndrome, who refused to leave without his Palestinian wife.

She said it was still unclear if her Palestinian daughter-in-law could join them when they signed up for the crossing with the second batch of Filipinos to flee Gaza.

"Nagdadalawang isip ako po na iiwanan ko ang aking anak na lalake na ako isa-save ko yung sarili ko. Maiiwan ang aking anak kaya hindi ko maaatim," Revelina said.

(I had second thoughts of leaving my son just to save myself. I could not bear to leave my son behind.)

It was already too late to rejoin the group of evacuees after they learned of the advisory that Palestinians had been allowed to leave with their spouses for Egypt.

GMA Integrated News conveyed their request to the Philippine embassy to be included in the next batch of evacuees from Gaza. However, there are no more vehicles and Khan Yunis is several kilometers away from the Rafah border crossing.

She also fears for her family’s safety since there are no bomb shelters at their location.

"Kung halimbawa malakas ang pasabog sa amin po, yung mga salamin titilapon po sa amin at matatamaan po kami," she said.

(For example, if there are nearby explosions, we have no protection from broken glasses and shrapnel.)

“Here we have a bad situation, (there are) bombs and very near," said Nadeen Naji Cargolio Alabdla, Revelina's Palestinian daughter-in-law.

More than just food, Revelina is asking for prayers.

“Ang hinihiling ko po ipag pray niyo po na maka-survive po kami sa kaguluhan," she pleaded. 

(I ask for prayers that we survive the conflict.)

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs thanked the mediation by Qatar which paved the way for foreign nationals, including Filipinos, to leave Gaza. —Sherylin Untalan/RF/NB, GMA Integrated News