President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. missed the arrival of the third batch of Filipinos repatriated from the United Arab Emirates, with Malacañang saying the Chief Executive was attending to other matters aimed at easing their situation upon return.

Only officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were present to welcome the 317 Filipinos who arrived aboard a government-chartered flight at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The flight carried 153 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), along with 114 dependents and 50 stranded Filipinos who opted to return home amid ongoing tensions.

The DMW said the repatriation is part of Marcos’ directive to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos in the Middle East.

According to Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, Marcos was attending an Economy and Development Council meeting at the time of the arrival, where programs on education, infrastructure, and the reconstruction and development of Greater Marawi Stage 2 were being discussed.

Castro added that the President had earlier instructed that the repatriation flight land at Villamor Air Base to facilitate faster immigration processing and ease the arrival of returning Filipinos.

“Nais ng Pangulo na maibsan ang bigat na naranasan nila bago sila makabalik sa Pilipinas,” Castro said.

Based on DMW data, more than 1,700 OFWs and their dependents have already been repatriated to the Philippines.