During the recent Committee of Foreign Affairs hearing on Friday, Senator Risa Hontiveros proposed Senate Resolution No. 326 to ensure the safety of OFWs in the Middle East.

In her privilege speech, Hontiveros urged a Senate probe to investigate the country's contingency measures concerning the safety of Filipino nationals, including the security of domestic energy supplies, in relation to the escalating hostilities in the Arab region. 

With nearly 2.5 million Filipinos working in the Middle East, data from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Senator Risa Hontiveros highlighted that many families here in the country are worried about the safety of their loved ones.

"Across the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has the highest number of OFWs currently affected by the crisis. Many families and relatives are worried, not only about their safety but also about the impact on their families and financial responsibilities”, Hontiveros said in Filipino.

The senator stressed that even if only one-third of this number [2.5 million] is affected, it would still be a huge responsibility for the country to manage.

“As war continues, our economy and security are also at stake, which makes this hearing extremely important”, Hontiveros added in Filipino.

After several deliberations, Hontiveros asked government officials about the sufficiency of government funds for OFW repatriation, noting that the Department of Migrant Workers’ Php 3.2-billion annual budget may be insufficient to help Filipino workers abroad as the crisis in the Middle East continues and is expected to worsen.