Thirty-one overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the escalating conflict in the Middle East arrived safely in Manila on Tuesday evening, marking the first wave of repatriations since tensions between Israel and Iran intensified earlier this month.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the group included 26 Filipinos from Israel, three from Jordan, and one each from Palestine and Qatar. They were on board Qatar Airways Flight QR 934, which landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport around 8 p.m. after a delay caused by temporary air traffic restrictions in Qatar following an Iranian missile strike on a U.S. base in Doha.
“We experienced flight delays due to airspace restrictions, but what’s really important is that we are here at home, safe and sound,” said DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac.
Government agencies, including the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Health (DOH), were on hand to receive the repatriates and provide assistance. Among those who returned home are a cancer patient and a pregnant OFW, both of whom will receive specialized medical attention and mental health support, according to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
Each returnee will also receive ₱150,000 in financial aid, temporary lodging, transportation to their home provinces, and access to reintegration programs aimed at helping them rebuild their lives back in the Philippines.
“We stand ready to assist those who are willing to be repatriated,” Cacdac added, urging other Filipinos in high-risk areas to avail of the voluntary repatriation program.
The DMW confirmed that 311 of the estimated 30,000 Filipinos in Israel have already requested to return home, and 50 more are expected to arrive later this week.