Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippine government has mounted two chartered flights to bring home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East amid ongoing tensions in the region, Malacañang said.
“Today, 16 OFWs from Tel Aviv (Israel) traveled by land to the southern Israel town of Eilat, which borders Egypt via the Taba border crossing. These 16 OFWs crossed the Egyptian border and will take the Cairo to Muscat to Manila flight with ETA Manila on March 11, 9:30 pm, Philippine time,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a media briefing.
“We have 20 OFWs (from Dubai) with 9 OFW dependents who travel from Dubai to Oman via the Khatmat-Malaha border crossing in northern Oman. Upon crossing the Omani border, they go to Muscat and take the Muscat to Manila flight with ETA Manila on March 10, 9:30 pm Philippine time,” she added.
Castro said the government also booked commercial flights through Emirates Airlines for OFWs and their dependents departing from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the DMW is arranging additional flights for Filipino repatriates, with the earliest departure scheduled on March 14.
The repatriation efforts will be funded through the Emergency Repatriation Fund of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the DMW.
According to Castro, more than 400 Filipinos have returned to the Philippines since tensions in the Middle East escalated.
She said the government continues to prioritize the safety and welfare of Filipinos working and living abroad.
