The Philippine government successfully brought home 338 Filipinos, including overseas workers and their families stranded in the UAE, through its sixth chartered repatriation flight amid regional unrest.
On March 29, 2026, a total of 338 Filipinos, comprising 203 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), 125 family members, and 10 stranded individuals in the United Arab Emirates, safely arrived in the Philippines via the sixth government-chartered repatriation flight. The plane landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, where returning Filipinos were welcomed by officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Presidential Management Staff (PMS). Representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Philippine Air Force were also present to assist. The repatriates received financial aid, medical services, temporary accommodation in Metro Manila, and transportation to their home provinces. This initiative is part of the government’s ongoing efforts amid the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos abroad. Since the crisis began, a total of 3,248 Filipinos have been repatriated from the Middle East. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac highlighted that the operation was conducted safely and smoothly through coordinated inter-agency collaboration, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize the welfare and safety of Filipinos overseas. The government remains committed to continuing repatriation flights and providing reintegration support for returning overseas Filipinos.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/pinoyabroad/981851/338-pang-pilipino-nakauwi-sa-bansa-mula-sa-middle-east/story/
