5 times the Philippines became a refugee camp for other nations

Filipinos are known for their kindness and hospitality. The bayanihan spirit is just one example of how compassionate Filipinos can be to their fellow men in times of need.

With the recent news of the Philippines’ willingness to take in some 300 Rohingyans who had fled Myanmar, it seems apt to take a look back on other instances when the Philippines opened its doors to foreigners in need of refuge and shelter. Despite being labelled a third world country, the Philippines still serves as a haven for many as Filipinos welcome these displaced foreigners with open arms.

1. Quezon’s open door policy for Jews

In the 1930s, during Adolf Hitler’s reign of terror, then-president Manuel L. Quezon opened the Philippines’ doors to Jewish refugees in Manila. Many countries refused to keep Jewish refugees for fear of reprisal from the Nazi, and yet the Philippines welcomed 1,200 Jews who narrowly escaped the Holocaust.

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They were given visas by the Frieder brothers, American Jewish businessmen originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, to work in their Philippine-based cigarette factory, as well as housing and schools for their children. President Quezon, for his part, also donated his own land in Mindanao and Marikina to serve as settlements for the Jewish refugees.