Philippine Ambassador to Israel Macairog S. Alberto (left) and

Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan at the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem

16 March 2022, Jerusalem – Philippine Ambassador to Israel Macairog S. Alberto met with Yad Vashem Chairperson Dani Dayan on 16 March 2022 to discuss cooperation on raising awareness of the Holocaust, including President Manuel L. Quezon’s rescue of 1,300 European Jews who fled Nazi oppression.

Mr. Dayan conveyed Yad Vashem’s appreciation of President Quezon’s efforts to save Jews in the 1930s. He expressed eagerness to work with the Philippines in promoting Holocaust awareness through virtual and in-person educational activities, including visits to Yad Vashem for Filipino educators, students, historians, and junior diplomats.

Ambassador Alberto invited Mr. Dayan to the Embassy’s planned screening of Quezon’s Game in the coming months, either in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. Both sides will also consider screening the film in Yad Vashem itself. The film retells Quezon and his American partners’ efforts to give visas to fleeing Jews prior to World War II.

Quezon, who pushed to open the Philippines to Jewish refugees, generously offered his own land in Marikina and set aside areas in Mindanao for them to settle in. Jewish refugees, finding a warm welcome upon their arrival, took to calling themselves “Manilaners” in honor of the city where they first landed.

In 2019, the Embassy established Balai Quezon to serve as a repository of information to promote awareness and recognition of Quezon’s pivotal role in Philippine-Israel bilateral relations.

Set on the slopes of Mount of Remembrance at the edge of the Holy City, Yad Vashem documents the suffering and survival of Europe’s Jews during the Holocaust and serves as a perpetual memorial for future generations. Its name comes from the Book of Isaiah 56:5, in which God promises His people a memorial and name (“yad vashem”, literally a hand and a name) that will endure forever.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte visited Yad Vashem in 2018, the first sitting Filipino President to do so. -- END