VICE President Sara Duterte expressed concern over the lack of concrete plans from the government in the repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Delikado na ‘yung buhay ng ating mga kababayan doon sa mga bansa na apektado ng kaguluhan sa Middle East, pero somehow, wala pa rin tayong nakikita na concrete plans and actions from the administration on how they will process the repatriation of those who want to come home or how they will give protection to those who want to stay in the Middle East,” she said in a media interview on Friday, June 27, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Davao City.
(The lives of our fellow Filipinos in countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East are already in danger, yet somehow, we still haven’t seen any concrete plans or actions from the administration on how they will process the repatriation of those who want to come home or how they will provide protection to those who want to stay in the Middle East).
Duterte said it is the government’s job to find ways to keep OFWs in Israel safe, but she has not seen a sense of urgency when it comes to the safety and security of Filipinos in the Middle East.
She said that instead of addressing the welfare of Filipinos in Israel, the administration is bringing up her impeachment issue.
She added that the focus seems to be on political persecution and her visits to Filipino communities in other parts of the world.
The vice president also took a snide at the government for finding funds to transport witnesses to The Hague, Netherlands but it has no clear plans for Filipinos at risk in the Middle East.
“May pera ka, meron ka palang airplane para mag-haul ng witnesses papunta sa The Hague pero wala kang pera, wala kang airplane, at wala kang plano para mag-haul ng mga Pilipino galing sa Middle East (You have money, you even have an airplane to haul witnesses to The Hague, but you don’t have money, you don’t have an airplane, and you don’t have a plan to bring home Filipinos from the Middle East),” she said.
She then criticized the government, saying it is led by officials who are “intellectually challenged,” following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s statement that while fuel would be affected, there would be “no significant effect on the economy.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) stated that they are preparing for the arrival of the second batch of repatriated OFWs from Israel.
Migrant Workers Undersecretary Felicitas Bay said in an interview on PTV’s Bagong Pilipinas on Thursday that around 20 OFWs are expected to arrive over the weekend. She said that a total of 346 OFWs in Israel have expressed interest in returning to the Philippines; of that number, 26 arrived on June 24, 2025.
Bay added that assistance has been extended to approximately 562 OFWs, including financial aid, temporary shelter for those displaced due to bombings, food packs, and psychosocial counseling services. However, she revealed that many OFWs who had initially requested repatriation backed out later and opted to stay following the ceasefire announcement between the two parties, hoping that tensions would further ease.
There are four Migrant Workers Office (MWO) shelters in Israel two currently house 29 displaced OFWs, while the other two are on standby. Bay said that if the situation escalates, their office, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), will implement contingency plans. RGP with reports from PNA