MANILA — The Philippine government is arranging chartered flights to bring home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the escalating tensions in the Middle East, with the first evacuation flights expected to depart within days, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
Speaking to reporters in New York, Marcos assured that authorities are ready to assist Filipinos who wish to return to the Philippines as uncertainty continues to grip parts of the region.
“And there are two flights that we are planning,” he said.
According to the President, one chartered flight will depart from Riyadh to transport Filipinos currently in Saudi Arabia, including those from nearby Gulf countries such as Kuwait and Bahrain.
Another chartered flight will leave from Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates to carry OFWs based in Dubai.
Marcos said the Fujairah charter flight is expected to depart on March 13 and arrive in Manila late that night or early the following morning.
Prior to these arrangements, several Filipinos had already returned home aboard commercial flights operated by Emirates from Dubai to Manila.
Government agencies are also preparing to support the repatriation efforts. Marcos said personnel from the Department of National Defense and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will be deployed to help facilitate the operation.
He added that Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac is set to travel to Dubai to assess the conditions of Filipino workers and oversee the government’s assistance programs.
Filipinos who have fled Israel and crossed land borders to neighboring countries such as Oman will also be included in the repatriation flights, Marcos said./PN
