MARCH 11, 2026 – Amid the escalating tension in the Middle East, the Philippine government has extended various types of assistance to over 4,600 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as of Tuesday, 10th March 2026.
Moreover, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac stated that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) have been helping Filipinos in places without Migrant Workers Offices (MWOs). These include OFWs who had been traveling as tourists when the crisis in the region started.
More than 4,600 OFWs Assisted in Middle East Conflict
During the joint hearing of the House Committees on Overseas Workers Affairs and Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, Secretary Cacdac presented the different types of support given by the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Philippine News Agency reported.
These agencies have provided temporary accommodation, food and basic necessities, financial assistance, and psychosocial services in conflict-affected areas as well as in transit hubs such as United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
“Thus far, 4,600 ang natulungan natin. It could be the case na yung 4,600 na yan ay one or two or three modes of assistance ang naibigay natin. Maaring nadala natin to temporary accommodation, maaring na-repatriate natin, maaring nabigyan ng pagkain (So far, we have helped 4,600. It could be the case that these 4,600 were given one or two or three modes of assistance. Some were given temporary accommodation, some were repatriated, and some were provided food). So it need not be one form of assistance lang per person,” the Secretary explained.
Image Credit: Overseas Workers Welfare Administration FB Page
Secretary Cacdac said that in host countries with designated shelters during emergencies — like Bahrain, Qatar, and Israel — Philippine officials are closely coordinating with these shelters to ensure the welfare and safety of OFWs. He added that the Philippine government also offers temporary accommodation, food, water, and financial assistance, especially to OFWs whose jobs have been disrupted during the crisis.
Image Credit: Overseas Workers Welfare Administration FB Page
Notably, the Secretary mentioned that so far, they have received requests for repatriation from 380 OFWs, and they are ready to help. He confirmed that the government is preparing two chartered flights to assist Filipinos who would like to return home.
Still, Secretary Cacdac said that repatriation efforts have been a challenge, because of limited airspace in some countries within the region. Hence, the Philippine government has been helping OFWs cross over land.
“The reality is, with the closure of the airspace, because we’re looking at Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Israel, the reality is four of those five countries, except for the UAE, ay hindi regular ang flights (have no regular flights),” he reported. “All the border crossings are identified per each of the five countries, and we have teams that will bring them to the border and teams that will receive them on the other side. Naka-pre-position na po yung ating teams (Out teams have been pre-positioned) in areas that surround these countries).”
Watch this video featuring the return of 24 OFWs and their dependents from Oman on the evening of March 10, as part of the government’s efforts to repatriate Filipinos affected by the Middle East crisis:
For her part, OWWA chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan stated that rapud response teams had been deployed to critical areas in the region as early as March 2. She also shared that OWWA is expending its “Hotline 1348” operations, while the government’s e-report platform is also being used to accommodate requests for repatriation and assistance.