The Philippine government is bringing home at least 300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the conflict-hit Middle East this weekend through chartered repatriation flights, as authorities race to move Filipinos out of danger zones and across restricted borders.
In an interview on Bagong Pilipinas on Friday, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the large-scale repatriation effort is already underway, with Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac now in the region personally overseeing the operation.
“As we speak, our DMW Secretary, Secretary Hans, flew to the Middle East last night and is now in one of the countries there, where he is currently arranging the chartered repatriation flights for many of our OFWs. Not less than 300 are in our chartered flights, and they will be arriving this weekend,” Olalia said.
He said two chartered flights are being arranged — one from the United Arab Emirates and another from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — in close coordination with Philippine embassies and host governments. The repatriation effort, he added, is being carried out by the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The operation comes as tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt normal movement, with some countries, including Kuwait and Qatar, imposing airspace restrictions that have complicated evacuation efforts. Because of this, some OFWs must first travel by land to safer exit points before they can board flights back to the Philippines.
Olalia said at least 50 repatriates from Kuwait, for instance, are expected to cross by land into Saudi Arabia to catch one of the government-chartered flights.
“They will be crossing over — what we call a land border-crossing. From Kuwait, for example, we have 50 repatriates who will cross into Saudi Arabia, and they will be boarded on our chartered flight,” he said.
He underscored that such movements require careful coordination between the country of origin and the receiving country, especially because exit clearances, entry permits and travel documents must all be secured before workers can be transported.
The government, he said, is also making sure stranded OFWs are cared for while waiting for their flights. Crisis management teams have already arranged temporary shelter, food and documentation assistance in staging areas, including Fujairah in the UAE.
The latest repatriation wave follows the return of more than 400 Filipinos to the country since tensions in the region escalated on Feb. 28, highlighting the scale of the government’s ongoing evacuation and assistance efforts.
Olalia assured returning workers that help will not stop at the airport. He said repatriates will be given psychosocial support, skills training and livelihood assistance through coordinated programs involving the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry.
As the government pushes to bring more Filipinos home safely, Olalia also appealed to those who remain in the Middle East to stay alert, put safety first and strictly follow advisories from local authorities, including shelter-in-place orders when necessary.