Filipino repatriates aboard a chartered flight en route to Manila as the government facilitates their safe return from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The overseas Filipino workers and their dependents arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City around 4 p.m. Friday (April 10, 2026). (Photo courtesy of DMW)
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday welcomed home 342 Filipinos repatriated from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as the eighth government-chartered flight from the Middle East landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the latest group included 203 overseas Filipino workers, along with their dependents and relatives, as the government stepped up efforts to assist Filipinos affected by the unrest in the region.
Cacdac said authorities are broadening support for returning workers, with more financial assistance, reintegration programs, job matching, and livelihood opportunities now being lined up for repatriates.
He pointed to earlier repatriation efforts from Israel, where some returnees were later placed under government-to-government employment arrangements, including hotel jobs in Croatia, as proof that the state is working to help displaced workers rebuild their lives.
Cacdac said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed agencies to provide stronger support, particularly in livelihood and employment, for Filipinos coming home from conflict-hit areas. He said the DMW is coordinating with the Department of Labor and Employment for job matching and with the Department of Trade and Industry for livelihood assistance.
Also present to receive the repatriates were Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Office of the President, the Presidential Management Staff, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The DMW said the latest repatriation mission was carried out in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in the UAE, following the President’s directive to safeguard the welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East.
Upon arrival, the returnees were provided immediate assistance, while more government agencies remained on standby to extend financial aid, medical care, temporary shelter, reintegration services, and support for immigration and customs processing.
Cacdac assured the public that the government would continue flying home Filipinos who wish to leave the region. He said a ninth chartered flight is already being prepared for Monday, with an estimated 2,200 more Filipinos still awaiting repatriation, although the figure remains fluid depending on developments on the ground.
He said the government remains hopeful that the ceasefire in the region will hold, but stressed that preparations are in place should more Filipinos request evacuation.
To sustain the repatriation program, Cacdac said funding has already been secured, with the Department of Budget and Management ordering the release of nearly P1 billion, including around P800 million for the DMW. He added that the government is also prepared to seek supplemental funds if necessary.
At the same time, Cacdac noted that deployment of land-based workers to the Middle East has dropped sharply, estimating the decline at 50 to 60 percent, although sea-based workers have so far remained largely unaffected.
In Lebanon, he said around 60 Filipinos have already been repatriated following recent security incidents. He added that while attacks in the past 36 to 48 hours had reportedly subsided, the situation remains concerning because the violence had spread to Central Beirut, an area not usually hit by such incidents.
Even so, Cacdac said no Filipino in Lebanon has been reported hurt so far, as the government continues to monitor the situation closely.
