Phl steps up repatriation as crisis alert level raised

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) repatriated more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) on Tuesday, 24 June, as tensions between Israel and Iran continued to escalate.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said 31 OFWs arrived in the Philippines Tuesday morning, despite earlier delays in commercial flights due to the temporary closure of Qatari airspace.

Of the total, 26 workers were from Israel, three from Jordan, one from Palestine, and one from Qatar.

Cacdac said the DMW is working closely with the Philippine Embassy and Qatari authorities to ensure the safety and support of all remaining Filipinos still abroad.

“With the Qatari Ministry of Interior on top of the situation, the Qatari airspace is now open, and we are now awaiting confirmation of the new schedule of our flight,” he said. “We thank the Qatari Ministry of Interior for their swift response and for ensuring the safety and security of all affected individuals.”

Cacdac also urged the public, especially Filipinos in the Middle East, to remain calm but vigilant and to avoid sharing unverified information that may cause panic. He reiterated that official updates will only be released through the DMW, the Philippine Embassy, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and other trusted government channels.

During a visit to Doha Hamad International Airport, Cacdac personally met two OFWs who missed their connecting flight to Pagadian City and assured them that the DMW and OWWA would shoulder the cost of rebooking their flights.

“We continue to monitor and assist OFWs abroad who are stranded and affected by the closure of the Doha airspace,” he added.

Cacdac also reminded families of repatriated workers to stay updated through official communication platforms as flight arrangements continue to be finalized.

Previously, Cacdac said that the number of OFWs seeking repatriation from Israel had risen to 223, from just 85 shortly after Israel launched an air assault on Iran on 13 June.

He said each OFW under the government’s repatriation program would receive P75,000 from the DMW’s Aksyon Fund and another P75,000 from the OWWA Emergency Repatriation Fund to help mitigate their loss of income and livelihood.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier raised the crisis alert level in both Israel and Iran to Alert Level 3, which calls for the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos.

Government records show there are 29,473 Filipinos in Israel and 1,184 in Iran.

Israel’s war with Iran has entered its second week, with the Israeli military warning of a “prolonged campaign,” while Tehran has ruled out resuming nuclear talks with the United States unless Israeli strikes cease.