By Marita Moaje
MANILA – Government-chartered flights carrying repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region will arrive over the weekend, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.
In a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Friday, DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said at least 300 OFWs are coming home in two batches.
“As we speak po ‘no, ang ating DMW Secretary na si Secretary Hans ay lumipad na patungong Gitnang Silangan kagabi at siya po ay nasa isang bansa doon at kasalukuyan po niyang inaayos ang chartered repatriation flight ng maramihan nating mga OFWs ‘no. Hindi po bababa sa 300 ang ating naka-charter at sila po ay darating ngayong weekend (Our DMW Secretary, Secretary Hans, flew to the Middle East last night, and he is currently in a country there, arranging the chartered repatriation flight for many of our OFWs. Not less than 300 are in our chartered flights, and they will be arriving this weekend),” he said.
Olalia said that two chartered flights are being arranged, with one coming from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the other from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in coordination with the Philippine Embassies and the host governments.
He said these chartered flights were arranged by the DMW, together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), following the instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
As most of the affected countries in the Middle East have restricted airspace, like Kuwait and Qatar, Olalia noted that some evacuations require land travel to cross borders.
“Sila po ay ating itatawid – iyong tinatawag nating land border-crossing mula halimbawa sa Kuwait, mayroon tayong singkuwenta na repatriates na tatawid dito papunta sa Saudi Arabia no, at sila po ay ating isasakay sa ating (They will be crossing over – what we call a land border-crossing from, for example, Kuwait, we have 50 repatriates who will be crossing over here to Saudi Arabia and we will be boarding them on our) chartered flight,” he said.
He stressed the importance of coordination from the country of origin and the destination country, as proper entry and exit permits are needed.
Olalia said the Philippine government is working to secure the necessary travel documents and permits for the returning workers.
He added that crisis management teams have also arranged temporary accommodation, food and documentation for OFWs awaiting their flights from staging areas such as Fujairah in the UAE.
Earlier data showed that more than 400 Filipinos have already returned to the Philippines since tensions escalated in the region on Feb. 28.
Olalia assured that returning OFWs will receive government assistance upon arrival, including psychosocial services, skills training and livelihood support through programs coordinated with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry.
Olalia, meanwhile, urged Filipinos in the Middle East to prioritize their safety and follow advisories from host governments, including “shelter in place” instructions when necessary. (PNA)
