342 Pinoys fleeing Middle East conflict arrive from Dubai, more to follow this week

DUBAI, UAE - A government official on Sunday said they will be expediting the repatriation of OFWs while a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East conflict is in effect.

The lull in hostilities between the United States and Israel against Iran has opened the airspace for more commercial flights to use the Dubai International Airport (DIA), according to Labor Attaché John Rio A. Bautista.

“Sasamantalahin po natin yung ceasefire. May mga commercial flights po tayo na nag-open,” he told GMA News Online.

(We will take advantage of the ceasefire. There are commercial flights that have opened.)

Commercial flights, though costly, are relatively less expensive when compared to chartered trips, which arrive at the UAE with just air crew and no passengers.

“So, yung susunod po na by the hundreds, susubukan naman muna ang commercial flights,” said Bautista.

(So, the next batch will be in the hundreds, we will try via commercial flights.)

Over 400 Filipinos will fly commercial flights this week, the official said, adding that the flights will leave Dubai in the morning, necessitating a finalization of travel documents at a school gym near the airport at dawn.

Bautista explained they opted for a chartered flight because they would be able to
repatriate more people instead of waiting for the availability of the next available commercial flight.

“Mas mahal po iyon, kaya naman natin ginagawa iyon ay kailangan nating mas maraming mapa-uwi sa mas maiksing panahon. Minsan, hindi na natin tinitignan iyon kasi mabilisan dahil emergency ito. So, nagkataon naman (may ceasefire) sinasamantala natin,” he said.

(It’s much more expensive, we are doing this because we needed to bring home as as many as we can in the shortest time. Sometimes, we don’t look at the expenses because this is an emergency situation. So, it happens that a ceasefire is in place and we’re taking advantage of it.)

Records show the Philippine foreign mission in the UAE has repatriated over 2,000 Filipino citizens via seven chartered flights since March 14.

The UAE closed its air space on March 1, 2026, following airstrikes from Iran that hit several civilian facilities that included the airport, a major international hub. It has since resumed limited operations.

Meanwhile, over 300 Filipinos from Dubai, United Arab Emirates arrived on Monday afternoon at Villamor Airbase via a chartered flight, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said. 

The ninth chartered flight by the Philippine government carried home 255 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their 87 family members, who sought to return to the Philippines amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. 

The department said a total of 4,234 OFWs and 1,170 kin have returned to the Philippines since March 5 under the government’s repatriation program. 

“Ang mga nakauwing OFWs ay nakatanggap ng agarang financial assistance, medical assessment,  pansamantalang matutuluyan at pamasahe pauwi sa probinsya,”DMW said in a statement. 

(The OFWs who returned received immediate financial assistance, medical assessment, temporary accommodation, and transportation fare back to their respective provinces.)

“Nakaantabay din ang DMW katuwang ang National Reintegration Network para sa paghahatid ng komprehensibong reintegration support para sa muling pagsisimula ng mga nakauwing OFW sa pamamagitan ng libreng skills training, job matching at livelihood support,” the DMW added. 

(The DMW, in partnership with the National Reintegration Network, is also on standby to deliver comprehensive reintegration support to help returned OFWs start anew through free skills training, job matching, and livelihood support.) 

The department earlier assured assistance for OFWs unable to return to their jobs in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions in the region.  —Jojo Dass and Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA News