27 January 2025: In solidarity with Israel’s observance of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Philippine Embassy in Israel held screenings of the film Quezon’s Game in various cities in Israel, with many moviegoers expressing both elation and gratitude for President Manuel Quezon rescue of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
The film tells of how Quezon struggled against failing health and the American bureaucracy and politics to carry out this humanitarian gesture.
The Philippines was one of the countries which took in fleeing Jews when the pogroms began in Europe. Working with Manila’s Jewish community and some sympathetic US officials, Quezon lobbied to secure 10,000 visas for the Jewish refugees. However, he managed to only bring in around 1300 shortly before World War II prevented all immigration to the Philippines.
The Jews who escaped Europe and found refuge in Manila were later known as Manilaners.
The first of the screenings was held in Haifa, a sister city of Manila, and home to a monument dedicated to Quezon. This was followed by two screenings in Hod HaSharon - a special viewing for 200 high school students and teachers and an evening showing for 100 attendees.
The Holon leg, held in the Holon Institute of Technology, was attended by around 200 guests, including diplomats and the representative of the Baha’i faith, Foreign Affairs Ministry Southeast Asia Director Michal Weiler-Tal, HIT President Eduard Yacubov, Holon Deputy Mayor Michael Sutovskii, representatives from the Bulgarian Jewish community, HIT faculty and students, as well as Filipino residents of the city.
In his remarks, Charge d’affaires Anthony Achilles Mandap lauded President Quezon’s moral courage and offered it as a source of inspiration as the world confronts a horrific resurgence of antisemitism following 07 October. He noted that the Nazis’ bigotry against Jews during the Holocaust is similar to the irrational hate that fueled Hamas’ horrific rampage on 07 October.
“We are glad and proud, yet humbled, that Filipinos stood with the Jews in their hour of desperate need. Because this was the right, and just, and honorable thing to do,” Mr. Mandap said.
At the end of the film, many viewers, including Holocaust survivors, approached Charge d’affaires Mandap to express their deep gratitude for what Quezon did as well as their wish that the story be more widely known in Israel.
“Thank you for the opportunity to watch this movie and learn about President Quezon’s kindness to the Jews. I wish more Israelis would learn about this,” said an elderly man who saw the film in the city of Holon, himself a Holocaust survivor whose family fled to France from Dusseldorf, Germany at the height of Nazi persecution.
The Embassy continues to undertake activities that further raise awareness of the story of Quezon and the Manilaners. The schedule of further screenings of Quezon’s Game in Be'ersheva, Netanya, Jerusalem, and other cities will be published once finalized. END
