The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Sunday is actively preparing for and conducting voluntary repatriation for Filipinos in the Middle East as of March 1, 2026 due to escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DMW and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure the safety of over 2.2 million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the region.
Voluntary repatriation (Alert Level 3) is currently in effect for several countries in the region including Israel, Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq. Meanwhile, mandatory evacuation (Alert Level 4) is not yet declared. An upgrade to this level would require official DFA approval.
Those opting for repatriation are eligible for financial aid, the DMW added.
Cacdac is personally overseeing operations in the region, adding that repatriation requests have already been processed for OFWs in Israel, Iran, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
