MANILA (UPDATED) — A total of 299 Filipinos affected by the escalating tensions in the Middle East safely returned home on Thursday, the Department of Migrant Workers said.
The DMW said the group included some individuals who were “returning to the Philippines for their safety and security as advised by their employers,” while others were “OFWs who finished their contract, and some are returning home for good and personal reasons.”
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The group arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City from Dubai via Emirates Airlines Flight 336, the agency said.
“We are thankful that you are all safe. Also, we are much thankful sa Emirates, sa UAE government sa pag-aalaga sa inyo, sa pag-prepare ng flight to Manila as we provide support,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, who welcomed the returnees at the airport.
The DMW said the returnees received financial assistance, accommodation and transport services, medical assistance, and psychosocial support.
Aviation analytics company Cirium said that of the more than 36,000 flights scheduled to fly to or from the Middle East, more than 20,000 had been cancelled since Saturday.
As airlines resumed limited flights out of hubs including Dubai and Riyadh, governments also chartered planes to bring home citizens affected by the turmoil, which stranded tens of thousands of travelers worldwide.
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But as of Wednesday, Cirium data indicated that air traffic was virtually completely grounded in Qatar and Bahrain. In Israel, nearly three-quarters of flights were cancelled and just over two-thirds in the UAE.
According to the latest data from the Migrant Workers Office (MWO), the number of Filipinos officially requesting repatriation has surged to 1,979.
The breakdown of requests spans the entire region:
- Kuwait: 633
- Bahrain: 312
- Abu Dhabi: 285
- Dubai: 231
- Qatar: 173
- Saudi Arabia: 90
- Israel: 61
- Lebanon: 26
- Jordan: 10
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan said that while certain operational details should remain confidential for the safety of the workers, the government's machinery was running around the clock.
"We want to assure everyone nagsisimula palang po yung trabaho. Our people on the ground are working 24/7 dito sa Pilipinas at sa mga posts po natin hindi lang po sa Middle East, pati din sa mga posts na may mga affected airports, meaning meron tayong mga kababayan na stranded ngayon," Caunan said.
The government continues to urge Filipinos in affected areas or their families in the Philippines to reach out via the OWWA Hotline for immediate assistance and repatriation scheduling.
'Alternative repatriation arrangements'
Meanwhile, Cacdac told a Senate panel Thursday that the government is working on alternative land transportation arrangements for expatriate Filipinos who cannot fly out due to airport and airspace closures amid the armed conflict in the Middle East.
"We have identified the exit points, we have identified the meeting points, the pickup points in-country, and the exit points to the border and then kung ano pong klaseng mode of transport," Cacdac said. "It's either commercial or chartered naman po ang options out of the safer country. So yun po ang ating strategy sa ngayon."
Department of Foreign Affairs Affairs Assistant Secretary Ezzedin Tago, officer in charge of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migration Affairs, said the country is ready to repatriate overseas Filipinos anytime.
"We are ready to repatriate anyone who asks for help, no matter what the alert level is. That has been the case in so many countries and also in GCC now. So kahit yung alert level 1 or 2, kung may hihingi ng tulong, the instructions to us is to make sure that the movement is," Tago said.
Senator Raffy Tulfo asked if an exit via sea was an option, but Cacdac ruled that out.
"Ngayon hindi po advisable ang seaports mainly because sea transport is slower and yung mga designated points po natin sa seas ay delikado rin po," Cacdac said.
Cacdac also assured lawmakers that Filipinos are being informed about what to do. - with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News
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— With a report from Agence France-Presse