Third batch: 317 Filipinos back in PH amid Middle East conflict

Another batch of Filipinos returned to the Philippines on Thursday amid the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said a total of 317 individuals, including 153 OFWs, their 114 dependents, and 50 stranded Filipinos, from the United Arab Emirates landed safely at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City. 

This is the third batch of repatriation via charter flights. 

“Not so many challenges, but there were procedures we had to hurdle,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac Jr. told reporters. 

“Ang overarching consideration ay ang security situation…Timing is everything, logistical operation, coordination with host countries. We just had to hurdle those factors and ‘yung eroplano, we made sure na may sufficient volume,” he said. 

(The overarching consideration is the security situation. Timing is everything, logistical operation, and coordination with host countries. We just had to hurdle those factors. We also made sure the plane had sufficient volume.)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. was supposed to welcome the latest repatriates. However, it did not push through due to meetings in Malacañang.

“Si Pangulong Marcos Jr. ay nasa Economy and Development Council Meeting ngayong hapon para talakayin ang iba’t ibang programa para sa edukasyon, imprastraktura, reconstruction and development of Greater Marawi, Stage 2, Unified Grand Central Project,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro told GMA News Online. 

(President Marcos is at the Economy and Development Council Meeting this afternoon to discuss various projects for education, infrastructure, reconstruction, and the development of Greater Marawi, Stage 2, Unified Grand Central Project.)

Castro also said Marcos ordered the repatriation flight to land at the Villamor Airbase to ensure convenience and smooth immigration processing for the repatriates. 

“Nais ng Pangulo na maibsan ang bigat na naranasan nila bago sila makabalik ng Pilipinas,” she added.

(The President wants to ease the difficulties the repatriates were feeling before they returned to the country.)

More Filipinos to come home

Tensions in the Middle East escalated following the joint military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

The DMW said a total of 2,099 OFWs and their dependents have so far returned to the Philippines amid the unrest.

“Sa ngayon, we’re arranging for the reparation of at least 1,000 or 800, but the requests keep coming in, and our Migrant Workers Offices will always be available,” Cacdac said. 

(We’re still arranging for the reparation of at least 1,000 or 800, but the requests keep coming in, and our Migrant Workers Offices will always be available.)

The Philippine government is also coordinating with the host countries of the four Filipinos arrested for allegedly posting videos of airstrikes on social media, Cacdac added. — VBL, GMA Integrated News