More than 300 Filipinos returned to the Philippines on Friday afternoon, 3 April, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The seventh government-chartered flight that carried 344 repatriates, which included 228 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their 68 dependents, as well as 48 stranded Filipinos arrived at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City from Dubai around 4 p.m.
“Maraming salamat po sa mabilis na aksyon ng gobyerno. Hindi po kami pinabayaan at ligtas kaming nakauwi,” a statement by one of the repatriated OFWs said.
The safe repatriation of Filipinos caught in the conflict in the Middle East is the result of the collaborative efforts of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), in partnership with Filipino communities in Dubai.
Meanwhile, a whole-of-government team, led by the DMW and OWWA, is prepared to provide medical, financial, and transportation assistance for those returning to their provinces, as well as temporary accommodation.