68 jailed Filipinos in UAE granted pardon — DFA

A total of 68 Filipinos who were jailed in the United Arab Emirates for various offenses were granted pardon by the UAE government last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

The DFA called the UAE's decision to extend clemency to the Filipinos during the Eid al-adha festival last month a "generous and benevolent gesture."

"(It) is a testament to the robust bilateral relations between the Philippines and the UAE and a lasting gift to the families of the pardoned Filipinos," the DFA said in a statement.

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA 2025) on Monday, Marcos expressed gratitude to the UAE and other countries in the Middle East, such as Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, for granting pardon to Filipinos detained in their countries.

The Philippines is one of the world’s top labor-exporting nations with more than 10 million skilled and unskilled workers scattered abroad, exposing them to abuses, unfair labor practices, and in some cases, civil strife and armed conflict.

Remittances from Filipino migrant workers constitute a significant source of the country’s foreign exchange as they send home at least $3 billion per year. — Michaela Del Callar/RSJ, GMA Integrated News