ILOILO City – Four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from this city have signified their intent to return home as tensions escalate in parts of the Middle East, prompting the city government to intensify monitoring of more than 500 Ilonggo migrant workers across the volatile region.
Data from the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of Iloilo City as of 12 noon on March 4 showed that 551 Ilonggo OFWs deployed in various Middle East countries are currently under monitoring. Of the total, four have already requested repatriation — two from Bahrain, one from Kuwait, and one from Saudi Arabia — while authorities are still verifying the status of hundreds more.
Iran has been firing rockets at its neighboring countries – United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, and Iraq – after a joint United States-Israel airstrikes on February 28 killed its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Gab Umadhay, head of Iloilo City PESO, said the city government has stepped up coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) even as national authorities have yet to issue an official directive for mandatory repatriation.
“As of the moment, wala pa repatriation ang aton DMW. Ang ila instructions is to closely monitor Ilonggos who are living in Middle East countries. Ang instructions for repatriation naka-hold pa,” Umadhay said.
Of the 551 OFWs being monitored, 106 have already been profiled and confirmed safe, while 441 remain under verification. None have so far been classified as “with concerns.”
Umadhay said the city government is now gathering complete information on OFWs who have expressed willingness to return home so they can be prioritized once repatriation flights become available.
“Kung na-profile sila namon nga gusto nila magpauli, ginakuha namon ang ila details kag employers, para kon may special flights ang DMW, sila ang amon siguraduhon nga makapauli,” he added.
PESO has also urged Ilonggo workers in the Middle East who have not yet contacted the city government to coordinate immediately so their data can be included in the monitoring system.
“Buot silingon, either dugay na sila sa country kag wala nag-agi sa data, ukon wala pa sila na-contact sa ila employers. Pwede gid sila ka-message sa amon PESO Iloilo City. May automatic reply kami nga gapangayo sang data nga kinahanglan namon para ma-monitor sila or ma-add sa group chat or WhatsApp monitoring mechanisms, para mapahapos ang repatriation efforts kon may ara na,” Umadhay said.
Some OFWs have already reported financial strain as the situation in their host countries worsens, including difficulty sending remittances to their families. At least one case of work stoppage has also been reported after bombings forced workers in some areas to temporarily halt operations.
“As of the moment, wala pa kita sang mahatag nga ubra kung ara pa sila didto sa Middle East. Pero kung magpuli sila diri, dira pa lang kami kahatag sang bulig,” Umadhay said.
Dubai currently has the highest number of monitored Ilonggo OFWs, according to PESO, although officials believe more workers may have yet to formally report their situation.
The list of OFWs being monitored has already been forwarded to the DMW for cross-matching to avoid duplication of records.
Umadhay assured that even migrant workers who were not previously registered with the Iloilo City government will still receive assistance once they coordinate with PESO.
“For those OFWs nga wala nag-agi ang data sa Iloilo City, we will treat them as fair as possible. Once mag-message sila sa aton, we will get the same data and the same assistance will be offered to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 has allocated P3 million in assistance for families who may lose income due to the crisis abroad.
“We are profiling them to see if we can provide temporary work such as TUPAD,” Umadhay said, referring to DOLE’s emergency employment program.
City officials said they will continue monitoring the situation while preparing support mechanisms for returning OFWs and their families as the Middle East conflict unfolds./PN
