The government has stepped up rescue and repatriation preparations for hundreds of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East as fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran disrupts air travel and heightens security risks across the region.
Hans Leo Cacdac, Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), said the agency is acting under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and is closely coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of National Defense, and Philippine posts abroad.
Amid the escalating conflict, 22 senators on Monday called for tighter oversight of government contingency measures.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, delivered a privilege speech warning that the widening hostilities pose immediate risks to Filipino workers and to the domestic economy.
“While this conflict unfolds thousands of miles from our shores, its consequences are not distant. First, the safety of our overseas Filipinos… second, energy security and economic stability,” Tulfo said.
Cacdac said preparations now cover three fronts: in-country assistance, relocation to safer areas, and full-scale repatriation should conditions deteriorate.
“We are ready for such an eventuality,” he said, noting that the government has identified meeting points, transit hubs and temporary shelters where Filipinos can gather before being moved to exit points and flown home once airspace reopens.
The DMW is mobilizing both public and private resources for possible land, sea or air evacuation. Augmentation teams are being positioned near key areas, although Cacdac declined to disclose specific routes for security reasons.
At present, there is no mass repatriation, but dozens have asked to return, he added.
In Dubai, between 80 and 100 Filipinos have signified their intention to go home. In Israel, at least 52 have earlier expressed interest in voluntary repatriation, while about 800 Filipinos are in Iran.
Cacdac said those requesting repatriation in Dubai have been transferred to safer ground while waiting for exit points to reopen amid airspace restrictions.
The government is also coordinating the return of the remains of Mary Ann Velazquez de Vera, a 32-year-old Filipina caregiver from Pangasinan killed in Tel Aviv during retaliatory strikes.
The DMW said it is working with Israeli authorities and her family and will extend financial and burial assistance.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) has assisted hundreds of stranded Filipinos affected by flight cancellations.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said 768 passengers were assisted at Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals 1 and 3, while nearly 100 more were aided at Clark International Airport.
Many were bound for Middle East destinations when flights were suspended.
Abroad, Philippine labor offices assisted 132 stranded Filipinos at Hong Kong International Airport who were en route to Dubai and Riyadh.
Of these, 31 have returned to Manila on government-provided tickets. Thirty-three others were assisted at Changi International Airport in Singapore with accommodation, meals and transport.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported at least 42 flight cancellations and three diversions since Saturday involving routes to and from Doha, Dubai, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The Department of Health said it is prepared to offer telemedicine, including mental health services, to affected OFWs, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has pledged financial aid, psychosocial services and livelihood assistance for repatriates through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.
The DFA clarified that alert levels for the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait remain unchanged as of Feb. 13.
Iran and Israel are under Alert Level 2, which imposes a deployment ban on newly hired OFWs and advises Filipinos to shelter in place. Higher alert levels trigger voluntary or mandatory repatriation.
At the Senate, Tulfo confirmed the death of De Vera in Tel Aviv and stressed that the protection of Filipinos in Israel, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE “is not optional.”
Tulfo filed Senate Resolution 322 seeking an inquiry in aid of legislation by the foreign relations, migrant workers and energy committees to assess evacuation readiness, repatriation funding and economic safeguards.
Twenty-two senators signed a separate sense-of-the-Senate resolution urging the immediate implementation of protection and repatriation measures.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros backed the move and called for a review of contingency measures to ensure the immediate safety of OFWs, as well as long-term energy security planning to cushion the economic impact of the conflict.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the resolution underscores the urgency of accounting for all Filipinos in affected areas and ensuring that reintegration programs are in place for workers who may lose their jobs.
Senators Robin Padilla and Mark Villar likewise urged the DFA and DMW to intensify advisories, consular monitoring and evacuation planning, emphasizing that no Filipino should be left behind.
With some 2.5 million Filipinos working across the Middle East, officials said contingency plans remain active and resources have been earmarked to ensure safe repatriation if the regional conflict worsens.
