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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DMW: 885 Middle East-bound Pinoy workers assisted after flight cancellations

DMW: 885 Middle East-bound Pinoy workers assisted after flight cancellations

Published Mar 4, 2026 03:17 pm
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) assisted around 885 Middle East-bound Filipino workers whose flights were cancelled due to the escalating tensions in their points of destination.
Patricia Yvonne Caunan, administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), said the assistance is from hotel accommodations, land transportation and even providing tickets for flights back to their respective provinces.
“They did not expect that their flights would be cancelled, they did not expect this to happen. So this is the part where the government helps them to bring them back to their provinces,” said Caunan in a press briefing on Wednesday, March 4.
In order to expand the assistance, Caunan said they strengthened the operation of emergency hotline services in the airports for OFWs whose flights were cancelled at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other international airports in the provinces.
Abroad, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said they also assisted more than 1,800 OFWs in various parts of the Middle East in terms of food and cash assistance and even shelters since the air strikes started on Saturday, Feb. 28.
“We provided basic services assistance since Day 1 of the situation in the Middle East as instructed by the President to ensure the welfare of the OFWs,” said Cacdac.
Aside from onsite assistance through DMW workers in the Middle East, Cacdac said they also made available online medical consultation that was facilitated by the Department of Health.
He said the communication line between the OFWs in the Middle East and their families in the Philippines were strengthened through the interconnectivity efforts of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).
There is no go-signal yet for government mass repatriation of OFWs due to the closure of airspace in most of the Middle East countries but Cacdac said they are now undertaking measures to find an alternative for OFWs who want to go back to the country.
Based on the latest data, around 1,200 OFWs have already signified the intention to be repatriated but Caunan said all of these are regularly validated due to the experience in the past wherein some OFWs would enlist in the repatriation but would later change their mind.
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