PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said more than 1,400 Filipinos in multiple Middle East countries have requested repatriation as fighting between Israel and Iran intensified, but airport closures and ongoing missile strikes have stalled evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, the government is closely monitoring the potential impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East on remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), warning that the situation remains volatile and difficult to predict.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III urged Filipinos around the world to remain calm and united as tensions escalated in the region following reports of the death of Iran’s supreme leader as a result of the bombings.
The President said 10 Filipinos in Iran, 297 in Israel, 22 in Jordan, 231 in Bahrain, 586 in Dubai and 270 in Abu Dhabi have formally sought repatriation, bringing the total to 1,416.
“This is not easy to do because, as you know, bombings are going on in this areas,” Mr. Marcos said in a press conference in Malacañang.
“The areas being hit by missiles and bombs from Iran have even broadened,” he added.
The Chief Executive described the situation as “very fluid,” with embassies and Philippine officials maintaining round-the-clock coordination with Filipino communities across the region.
He said some of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) requesting repatriation had completed their contracts and were preparing to return home, but were stranded after airports shut down, while others were seeking to leave areas now considered high risk.
“The problem is there are no airplanes because the airports were hit,” he said. is flying. And the airports are being hit already.)
Land evacuation is also being explored but poses its own threats, including the possibility of convoys being misidentified as hostile targets.
He noted that travel by land is also risky due to friendly fire.
For the movement, the government advised the OFWs to take shelter and follow instructions from their host governments.
“The advice we give to our fellow citizens is to find a safe place and stay there for now; you stay in a safe place, stay indoors, and stay away from areas of danger,” he said.
Marcos identified Israel as currently the most dangerous area for Filipinos because of sustained attacks. However, he noted that Israel has an extensive network of bomb shelters.
He said Philippine embassies and foreign posts are on 24/7 alert and have released hotline numbers for Filipinos and their families.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers and the Department of Foreign Affairs were also fielding calls from relatives seeking updates on the crisis.
According to the President, remittances from OFWs in the Gulf region form a significant portion of the country’s dollar inflows and support millions of families in the Philippines.
“Most of our remittances really come from there, and that’s our largest working group abroad. They are not with their families, so they remit money here to the Philippines,” Mr. Marcos said in mixed Filipino and English.
He cited initial reports from Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, estimating that around 80 to 85 percent of Filipino workers in Gulf countries continue to work despite the crisis.
According to the DMW, there are more than 1.113 million OFWs in the Middle East, with the majority of Filipinos concentrated in the five conflict-linked destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Still, he described the outlook for remittances as a “mixed bag,” noting that multiple factors could either cushion or amplify the economic effects.
“It’s very, very hard to make an estimate,” Cacdac said.
The President explained that while disruptions in employment or lower dollar earnings could reduce the actual amount sent home, movements in the peso-dollar exchange rate could offset or magnify the impact.
This is because remittances are sent in dollars, making the exchange rate a crucial variable.
“If the peso goes up, remittances increase. But if the actual dollars being sent here go down, then they will decrease,” Marcos said, adding that the government is watching currency movements closely.
“Missile exchanges, disruptions in oil routes, instability in global markets and closure of airspace are now affecting the economy worldwide, most especially the lives of our Overseas Filipino Workers stationed in affected areas,” Sotto noted.
He assured the OFWs that their safety remains a priority and that state agencies are prepared to implement protection and repatriation measures if necessary.
He also urged Filipinos at home to rely on legitimate news sources and avoid spreading unverified information that could cause fear and confusion.
“We have endured many crises as a nation: natural disasters, financial setbacks, and global disruptions. Each time, what carried us through was not panic, but solidarity. Not hysteria, but discipline. Not division, but shared resolve,” said Sotto.
In a separate statement, Senator Erwin Tulfo revealed that he has been receiving regular updates from Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro regarding developments in Gulf Cooperation Council countries as well as in Iran and Israel.
According to him, the Senate earlier augmented the budgets of the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration by P1.3 billion in anticipation of possible conflict scenarios.
From the total amount, P800 million is allocated to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers and P500 million to OWWA despite lower utilization rates cited in earlier budget proposals.
He said the additional funds were approved to prepare for potential war situations similar to previous hostilities in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
“Fortunately, we were able to increase the allocation. So far, based on reports, there are 1,416 Filipinos who want to be repatriated. The problem is they cannot be brought home yet because the airspace is closed,” Tulfo lamented.
The lawmaker also announced that the Senate foreign relations panel will hold a hearing Friday morning to explore legislative and policy responses to the crisis.
He said resolutions filed by several senators will guide discussions on mitigating economic impacts, particularly rising oil prices and the safety of Filipino workers abroad.
