Another batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) safely returned to the country Wednesday night, March 11, from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
Meanwhile, Filipino sailor George Miranda was reported to be missing after their tugboat was hit by missiles at the Strait of Hormuz over the past days.
This developed as Congress pledged to continue exercising its oversight powers and ready to approve a supplemental budget if needed to help protect overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) trapped in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The group, consisting of 25 OFWs and one dependent, landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City at around 9:20 p.m. aboard an Emirates flight.
Some of the returning workers were already scheduled to go home and took the opportunity to leave as flight became available.
Others decided to be repatriated amid fears of being caught in the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, choosing instead to reunite with their families.
“At least now that I’m here in the Philippines, I can finally be with my family. So, thank you to our government, especially to our President,” said OFW Carol Agulto.
On hand to welcome them at the airport were representatives from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the medical team of the New NAIA Infra Corp.
In line with Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide support to returning Filipinos, the OFWs received financial assistance, food aid, temporary accommodation, transportation services, and medical and psychosocial intervention from the government.
The DMW said assistance for returning OFWs will continue as part of government’s efforts to ensure their safe reintegration into the country.
“We will continue to exercise our oversight powers here in Congress … and if necessary, we will provide a supplemental budget,” said Pangasinan Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas, chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Arenas said the House leadership is closely coordinating with the executive branch and stands ready to support both policy and funding requirements if government agencies needed additional resources.
She noted that the Philippines has about 2.5 million OFWs in the Middle East, underscoring the country’s significant human stake in the crisis.
Arenas also cited the death of Mary Ann Velasquez de Vera, an OFW from Pangasinan who was struck by debris unleashed by the bombs as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of Filipino workers in the conflict zone.
On the other hand, Miranda, 46, was reported missing after their tugboat was hit by two missiles at the Strait of Hormuz, officials said.
The government also said more than 6,000 Filipino seamen were still working in the conflict zone and “surrounding areas”, many of them waiting for the green light to pass through the now-deadly shipping lane.
A series of Iranian strikes have effectively closed the strait, which accounts for 20 percent of world oil and gas supplies, plunging the global energy economy into crisis.
For John Winston Isidro, life aboard their oil tanker had been in the doldrums since their ship was placed on standby mode.
“The crew stopped working above deck, and we installed a double watch on the bridge,” the 32-year-old told Agence France Presse (AFP), describing off-hours spent scrolling Facebook, playing computer games and watching the occasional movie.
That routine was becoming normal, he said, though the engine crew was being kept on standby, ready to “fire up our engines” in case of emergency.
Welbin Maghanoy, whose ship was carrying crude oil bound for Japan, had been stranded for nine days when he spoke to AFP.
“It’s getting boring, and I’m a little scared, because there are many ships being attacked, mostly oil tankers like ours,” he said from a vessel located 100 nautical miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates.
“Those whose contracts are about to end… they really want to go home,” he said of his fellow sailors.
Judy Domingo, president of the 50,000-strong United Filipino Seafarers union, told AFP she had taken hundreds of calls from concerned sailors bottled up in the strait, with food supplies one of the immediate concerns.
“There are also members expressing their desire to leave the ship. But of course, we cannot get them out of there immediately. We have to consider their location and a safe port for them to disembark,” Domingo said.
One stranded Filipino sailor who has been posting online videos of his experiences under the name Choi described a vote in which the crew was asked if they wanted to risk passage through the strait, where traffic has slowed to a trickle.
“Our captain gathered us in the conference room to ask us who wanted to pass through,” he said in a video posted to Facebook and verified by AFP Fact Check.
“We chose to go home alive,” he said. “There are 27 of us. Almost everyone said they refused to sail.”
One sailor said he was happy they were not consulted about the decision to stay put.
“Our captain will not risk our vessel’s safety… It’s too dangerous,” he said. “Let’s just pray this US-Iran war ends soon so every ship trapped here is able to get out safe.”
Arenas reassured Filipinos in the region that the Philippine government is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to assist them. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “More OFWs stranded in Middle East arrive home—DMW”
