April 24, 2026
MANILA – Another 223 Filipinos from the Middle East arrived in the Philippines through a series of commercial flights on Thursday as part of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) repatriation efforts.
Of the 223, 147 were overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait aboard Gulf Air flight GF154, OWWA said in a statement.
In an earlier flight, Emirates Airlines Flights EK 330 and 336 arrived from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrying 45 OFWs and 15 dependents.
Another 15 OFWs and one independent also arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia shortly after.
READ: 1,161 Filipino seafarers exit Persian Gulf safely amid tensions
According to the DMW, as of Thursday 1 p.m., the total government-funded repatriations have reached 6,785, of which 5,409 are OFWs and 1,376 are dependents.
“A total of 7,408 OFWs and their dependents have returned to the country from March 5, 2026 to April 23, 2026, due to the ongoing unrest in the Middle East. Of this number, 6,785 underwent government-funded repatriation, including 5,409 OFWs and 1,376 dependents,” the DMW statement said in Filipino.
“They were immediately provided with financial assistance, transportation, temporary shelter, and reintegration support under the National Reintegration Network,” it added.
READ: 2 OFWs held hostage, killed by employer in Lebanon – DMW
With over two million Filipinos in the Middle East, repatriation efforts in the region began following the exchange of attacks between US and Israel against Iran.
DMW said it is anticipating more arrivals on Friday and Saturday from Kuwait, Qatar, and Dubai. /jpv