Mandaluyong city: The Philippine government has stepped up its repatriation efforts for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the Middle East crisis, with six scheduled flights arriving Tuesday. At a media briefing in Mandaluyong City, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan said these six flights carry 75 government-assisted OFWs.
According to Philippines News Agency, the flights are part of an ongoing large-scale evacuation program expected to bring home nearly 2,000 OFWs by the end of the week or early next week. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), in coordination with the OWWA and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said close to 1,200 repatriation cases have already been funded, covering pre-departure processing, airfare, and post-arrival assistance.
OWWA chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan emphasized that repatriation operations follow a multi-stage process, with OFWs transported via land border crossings from conflict-affected areas to designated exit points in neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Oman. From there, they are flown back to the Philippines via chartered or commercial flights.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured that OFWs crossing borders by land are safe and are assisted by various Philippine government teams deployed on both sides of the border crossings, through immigration and security checks, and onward to the country. He mentioned that in some Middle Eastern areas, limited commercial flights are also operating, particularly from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with additional routes gradually opening in Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon.
As of the latest data, Caunan noted that at least 657 OFWs are now in the pipeline for return, with many currently housed in temporary accommodations while awaiting flights. She added that repatriation typically takes over a week to complete, depending on visa processing, security conditions, and flight availability.
Cacdac also assured that post-repatriation assistance, including psychosocial intervention, skills training, and financial aid, is provided to these OFWs upon arrival, along with transportation back to their home provinces.
Continuing assistance is being provided, as highlighted by Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo Melicor during a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview. He stated that the complex evacuation effort for OFWs and stranded Filipinos requesting assistance to exit Qatar continues, as the government awaits regular flights to resume in the Gulf state. The Philippine Embassy in Qatar has facilitated the exit of some 100 Filipinos, with more than 30 on their way via the government's third repatriation flight. The embassy has also assisted 27 Filipino pilots and crew members in securing proper travel documents to cross Saudi Arabia.
Melicor reaffirmed the safety and security of the situation and noted that despite the challenges, some OFWs and stranded visitors wish to return home. The embassy and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) are committed to bringing them back to the Philippines.
