If pineapples can grow in the once barren deserts of Israel, then the recent visit of the Israel Economic Mission to Negros might just be what the sugarcane doctor prescribed.
(https://www.timesofisrael.com/little-known-philippines-wwii-rescue-of-jews-was-capped-by-us-interference/)
The Philippines and Israel share ties that go back deep in time. Some say over 60 years deep, since the opening of embassies in Manila and Tel Aviv in 1962. But there is strong argument that the ties go further back to 1939 when the Philippines welcomed 1,200 Holocaust refugees. Or, even further back, to the start of the American occupation in 1901, well over a century ago. The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines to establish a new public school system with English as the medium of instruction. Many of the Thomasites were Jews. And many of the Filipino youth today have jobs because the country continues to teach English in classrooms.
(These ties have not only endured, they have prospered. Today, out of 225 trading partners, Israel is the Philippines’ 34th largest. Since the establishment of its state in 1957, Israel has advanced by leaps and bounds to become a leading resource of cutting-edge technology. Israel is the world’s innovation hub today, hosting the largest number of start-ups per capita. This unparalleled success has given jobs to over 300,000 foreign workers now employed in Israel. Of that, up to 50,000 are Filipinos, including Loreta Alacre of Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, a caregiver who was killed when Hamas forces attacked concert-goers near Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Photos by Unit A CreativesThe ties keep growing deeper. As the sugarcane industry of Negros starts a new crop year in September, we recount the visit of the Israel Economic Mission to meet farmers and see how innovative Israeli technology can help them achieve their goal of increased productivity.
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Article by: Alan Gensoli
