MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has repatriated 6,706 nationals from several Middle Eastern posts as of April 17 amid ongoing regional tensions, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the total includes 5,023 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and 1,343 dependents, along with 340 tourists and other overseas Filipinos.
“That includes today’s arrivals. We have around three arrivals today from Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar, and tomorrow we will have arrivals from Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, and Abu Dhabi,” Cacdac said in a press briefing in Pasig City. “So we will go up to around 6,900 by tomorrow.”
The largest number of arrivals came from Dubai with 2,048 returnees, followed by Kuwait with 1,153 and Abu Dhabi with 1,023. Other repatriates were recorded from Qatar (700), Bahrain (689), Riyadh (684), Al Khobar (133), Israel (90), Lebanon (77), Jeddah (74), and Oman (35).
The repatriation effort comes amid tensions in the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliation in recent months, which disrupted regional air and sea routes.
The government has shouldered airfare costs for most returnees, with the DMW funding 4,308 repatriates, or 64 percent of the total, while the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) covered 2,398, or 36 percent.
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The DMW also said it has delivered 30,587 services to returning Filipinos through its Migrant Workers Offices as of the same date.
Of these services, Cacdac said 17,287 were food assistance, 4,502 financial aid, 4,369 transportation support, 2,124 shelter assistance and 2,305 medical services.
Financial assistance guidelines
The DMW will provide $200 (about P11,990) in financial assistance to overseas Filipino workers affected by reduced income, working hours, or work disruptions, Undersecretary Jainal Rasul Jr. said.
Rasul said the department has streamlined the application process under guidelines issued on March 30 and amended this month to improve access for affected workers.
Applicants must submit a request form, passport copy, and proof of overseas employment such as a contract, visa, or labor card.
They must also present proof of income loss or work disruption, including payslips showing reduced wages, termination notices, or visa cancellations, where applicable.
Rasul said self-declarations will also be accepted, along with certifications from Philippine community organizations attesting to reduced working hours or income.
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He cited cases such as workers in Dubai Duty Free, where employees have reportedly been placed on reduced schedules due to fewer tourist arrivals.
The assistance will be taken from the agency’s action fund, he added.
Reintegration
The DMW is piloting a post-repatriation orientation seminar under its “Kalinga” framework to strengthen psychosocial and medical support for returning overseas Filipino workers, Assistant Secretary Francis De Guzman said.
De Guzman said assistance begins upon arrival at the airport, with medical and psychosocial support extended through follow-up monitoring after repatriation.
He said reintegration support is being expanded as returnees face work disruptions and may opt for local employment, overseas redeployment, or livelihood programs in the Philippines.
The program includes skills training, upskilling, and scholarships in coordination with other agencies under the National Reintegration Network, he said.
Returning workers are also profiled and matched with job opportunities based on skills and preferences, with support from the Department of Labor and Employment, local Public Employment Service Offices, and other partners.
De Guzman said alternative labor pathways are also being opened for redeployment outside the Middle East, with some returnees from Israel and Lebanon already deployed to Croatia and other countries.
Seafarers
The DMW is also monitoring Filipino seafarers transiting high-risk waters in the Middle East.
In the Persian Gulf, 4,844 seafarers aboard 462 vessels were affected, with 495 already back in Manila, according to DMW data.
In the Gulf of Oman, 819 seafarers on 71 vessels were affected, with 20 already repatriated.
Cacdac said the government will continue repatriation and assistance efforts, including reintegration programs, as more Filipinos are expected to return in the coming weeks amid shifting conditions in the region. /mcm