Six Filipino workers from Iran arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Saturday (June 28, 2025) aboard Emirates flight EK 334. The six are among the eight Filipino repatriates who requested to return to the Philippines following the Israel-Iran conflict. (Photo courtesy of DMW)
Six Filipino workers from Iran arrived safely at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Saturday, marking the first group repatriated amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed that five of the six repatriates had been working in Iran as shrimp hatchery technicians. The sixth was a domestic worker based in Dubai who had traveled to Iran with her employer for a vacation when hostilities erupted on June 13. The conflict ended with a ceasefire on June 24.
Two more Filipino nationals from Iran are expected to return to the country in the coming days.
The group was welcomed by high-ranking government officials, including Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega, and DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi. They were joined by medical staff and a social welfare officer from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The repatriation was carried out through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Tehran, headed by Ambassador Roberto Manalo, along with support from DMW and OWWA.
Upon arrival, the returning Filipinos were provided immediate financial aid, food, and medical services. OWWA also arranged temporary hotel accommodations and will facilitate domestic transportation to their respective home provinces.
In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the repatriated workers will receive continued reintegration support, including livelihood assistance and other government services to help them transition back to life in the Philippines.