SOME 299 Filipinos returned home safely from Dubai on March 5, 2026, amid rising tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the group, which includes 23 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and two children, arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City at 6:45 a.m. via Emirates Airlines Flight 336.
The DMW Aksyon Fund provided immediate financial assistance to the returnees. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) provided accommodation and transport, while the Department of Health (DOH) offered medical assistance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) provided psychosocial support.
Cacdac thanked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other host countries in the Middle East for ensuring the safety of Filipinos.
“We thank the UAE government, the local government of Dubai sa pag-aalaga sa ating mga kababayan. Also, to the government of host countries [in the Middle East] involved in this crisis for their safety protocols and defense system in place,” he said.
Cacdac assured the public that Philippine authorities continue efforts to repatriate Filipinos affected by the conflict. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)