The first batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from the Middle East amid rising regional tensions arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday night.
Thirty-one repatriates—26 from Israel, three from Jordan, one from Palestine, and one from Qatar—arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Qatar Airways flight QR 934 from Amman, Jordan, at 7:30 p.m. The group was originally scheduled to arrive at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday but experienced a brief delay due to the temporary closure of Qatar’s airspace following Iran’s missile strike on a United States air base in Doha on Monday.
In a press briefing, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced that a second batch of 50 OFWs is expected to arrive later this week, while another 20 are currently being processed. “We experienced flight delays due to airspace restrictions, but what’s really important is that we are here at home, safe and sound,” said Cacdac, who led the repatriation mission alongside Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi.
Cacdac and Legaspi traveled with the OFWs from Jordan, personally ensuring their safe passage back to the Philippines. He emphasized that the repatriation efforts amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran comply with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure the safety and security of OFWs during crisis situations.
Each repatriate received PHP150,000 in financial support—PHP75,000 each from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The workers were also provided with immediate airport assistance, including temporary accommodations and transport to their home provinces.
OWWA Chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan, along with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Director General Felizardo Colambo, and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer, welcomed the OFWs and provided on-the-spot medical, psychological, and reintegration services.
“The DOH will provide medical services and assistance to one cancer patient-repatriate and one pregnant OFW, including a mental wellness check-up to ensure their overall well-being,” Herbosa stated.
The DMW, through its National Reintegration Center for OFWs, will assist the repatriates in establishing livelihood ventures or finding alternative employment opportunities, in addition to offering free skills training vouchers from TESDA and business training from the Department of Trade and Industry. For those seeking local employment, the Department of Labor and Employment is prepared to assist with placement and job matching.
The repatriates from Israel crossed the King Hussein Bridge into Jordan before flying home, supported throughout by Philippine embassies, Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs), and OWWA welfare officers in Israel, Jordan, and Qatar.
Cacdac acknowledged the coordinated efforts of concerned government agencies for the safe and successful repatriation of the OFWs from conflict-affected areas in the Middle East.
DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay noted that out of more than 30,000 OFWs in Israel, 311 have requested repatriation so far. “We stand ready to assist those who are willing to be repatriated. We are encouraging OFWs to avail of the voluntary repatriation program. And sa pag-uwi nila (when they return home), a whole-of-government approach ang nakahanda (is in place),” Cacdac said.
Meanwhile, Caunan emphasized the emotional impact of the repatriation on the families of the OFWs. “Pinaka mahalaga at pinaka importante ang saya at pagmamahal na nadarama ng bawat pamilya sa pagdating ng ating mga OFWs sa gabing ito (The most important thing is the joy and love expressed and felt by the families of the OFWs after they arrived home tonight),” Caunan concluded.
