ILOILO – As of this writing, no Ilonggo overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East have requested repatriation despite the intensifying conflict in the region, with most staying inside their employers’ residences or apartments for safety, according to the Iloilo provincial government.
The Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the provincial capitol has so far profiled 128 Ilonggo OFWs currently working in the Middle East as tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate, with officials closely monitoring their safety and bracing for possible repatriation requests.
PESO province manager Cynthia Dario did not discount the possibility that the number would further increase.
“Nalipay kita kay most of them naghambal generally nga they are safe. They are unsafe lang kon malapit mismo sila sa lugar where ara ang mga military bases sang US and of course kon mabatian nila ang linupok now and then. May time kuno nga two to three hours and after that, ara naman nagalinupad naman ang missiles,” said Dario.
The conflict was sparked by a joint United States-Israel airstrike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, February 28.
Iranian retaliatory missile and drone strikes have been reported in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Doha (Qatar), Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia – places with US military bases, or that are allied to the US.
Dario confirmed that as of Monday morning, March 2, a total of 128 OFWs from various Iloilo municipalities have been accounted for through a coordinated grassroots effort involving municipal PESO managers, PESO barangay coordinators, and OFW organizations.
The breakdown of profiled Middle East Ilonggo OFWs per municipality is as follows:
* Cabatuan (38)
* Tubungan (31)
* Pototan (15)
* Santa Barbara (nine)
* Janiuay (seven)
* Anilao (seven)
* Badiangan (five)
* San Enrique (four)
* Barotac Viejo (four)
* Dumangas (three)
* New Lucena (three)
* Oton (one), and
* Calinog (one)
Dario said the profiling was conducted after local officials went house-to-house, following the launch of hotline numbers under “Operation Bulig Ilonggo”.
PESO-Iloilo Province is also coordinating with national government agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure that any request for assistance will be processed swiftly.
The said agencies have likewise released their own advisories and hotline numbers for OFWs who may need urgent assistance.
For its part, PESO-Iloilo Province has launched 24/7 hotline numbers which Ilonggo OFWs and their families may contact via call, Viber, or WhatsApp: 0998-990-5663, 0917-754-3833, 0910-005-4682, 0916-758-3156, 0995-931-0922, 0917-881-7808, and 0961-680-4428./PN
