34 OFWs, kin return to PH from Qatar amid Middle East conflict

Thirty-four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and one dependent who had been based in Qatar arrived safely in the Philippines on Saturday, May 16, availing of the government's repatriation efforts for Filipinos affected by heightened tensions in parts of the Middle East.

The group landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR934, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

Representatives from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and medical personnel from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), together with the New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation, received the repatriates and extended immediate assistance upon arrival.

Authorities said the returning workers were assessed and assisted to ensure a smooth transition back to the country.

The latest repatriation came as Philippine authorities continue to monitor the security situation in the Middle East, where escalating tensions and instability have prompted some overseas Filipino workers to seek government assistance to return home.

The DMW had earlier reported receiving numerous requests for repatriation from Filipinos in affected areas as regional unrest intensified, prompting the agency to activate contingency measures for possible large-scale evacuations.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac previously assured that the government has systems in place to respond to any worsening of the crisis, including pre-arranged evacuation routes, designated assembly points, and transport coordination to facilitate the safe movement of affected workers.

He also said the DMW, in coordination with partner agencies, remains prepared to scale up repatriation operations should the situation require broader intervention.

Earlier government data showed that thousands of OFWs from several Middle Eastern countries had already returned to the Philippines since March under state-assisted repatriation efforts.

Under the government’s post-repatriation assistance program, the returnees from Qatar were provided support that included medical aid, financial assistance, temporary accommodation, and transportation for travel back to their home provinces.

The government also offers reintegration services, such as livelihood support, employment assistance, and skills training, to help returning migrant workers rebuild their lives and transition back to local communities.

The DMW said the repatriation initiative forms part of the administration’s continuing efforts, under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to protect the welfare and long-term recovery of overseas Filipino workers returning to the country. —MCG, GMA News