President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the Philippine government is coordinating with host countries in the Middle East to ensure the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) amid the ongoing regional conflict.
In a press conference with Filipino reporters in New York City, Mr. Marcos assured that repatriation efforts continue for those who wish to return home. He said the government’s main intervention is facilitating the return of Filipinos fleeing for their safety.
“Ang maaari lang nating gawin ay iuwi ‘yung mga gusto nang umuwi. (The only thing we can do is bring home those who want to go home.) And for that, we have made many arrangements,” he said.
Moreover, President Marcos said the Philippines relies on host governments to provide security to foreign workers because the country does not have enforcement authority overseas.
“We have to depend on the locals, the local authorities dahil wala naman tayong military doon. Wala naman tayong police doon, wala naman tayong courts doon (because we do not have any military there. We have no police there, we have no courts there),” Mr. Marcos said.
The president added that the good reputation of Filipino workers has helped ensure their protection.
“Dahil sa magandang performance ng ating mga OFW, talaga namang tinutulungan sila. (Because of the good performance of our OFWs, they are really being helped.) They are being kept safe by the governments, the countries where they have been working,” he said.
According to the president, the government is organizing chartered repatriation flights as conditions in parts of the Middle East begin to stabilize. He said several flights from Dubai to Manila have already transported Filipino workers back to the country.
“Nakatatlong flight na yata tayo. Dubai-Manila ‘yun, mga Dubai-Manila. So, that’s direct at naisakay natin ‘yung ibang Pilipino (I think we already had three flights. Dubai-Manila—that is Dubai to Manila. So, that’s direct, and we’ve brought some of the Filipinos),” President Marcos said.
Additional charter flights are being arranged from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to bring home Filipinos from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as another flight from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates for workers based in Dubai.
The president said personnel from the Department of National Defense and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines are expected to assist in the repatriation operations.
President Marcos also said Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac of the Department of Migrant Workers is expected to join one of the flights to personally assess the situation of Filipino workers in the region.
Meanwhile, Filipino workers have also begun arriving through newly opened land border crossings between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, as well as through Oman.
A group of Filipinos from the UAE was expected to arrive Wednesday night, while another group of 16 from Israel is scheduled to arrive Thursday night, according to the president.
The government is targeting March 13 for the departure of the chartered flight from Fujairah, with its arrival in Manila expected late the same day or early March 14.
