JAKARTA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the release of an additional ₱3* *billion for overseas Filipino workers displaced by the Middle East conflict, with the money going to the Department of Migrant Workers’ return and reintegration program, according to the Office of the Executive Secretary on June 21.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the funding would cover the “repatriation chain, from post-departure assistance, to flights, to reintegration.” He said the support should not end when returnees land in the Philippines.
“War or not, there are Filipinos in extreme distress that we should bring home,” Recto said.
The conflict behind the return operation involves hostilities among the United States, Israel and Iran. On March 24, Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency after the Philippine government said the fighting had raised risks to oil transport, supply chains and fuel prices.
The emergency also affected mobility across the Gulf. On March 2, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said exit points and repatriation measures were ready for Filipinos who wanted to return, with several airports in the United Arab Emirates closed at the time.
As of June 17, 10,446 Filipinos had returned from the Middle East through DMW-organized humanitarian flights. The total included 8,281 OFWs, 1,803 dependents and 362 stranded citizens.
Earlier arrivals showed the regional complexity of the operation. On March 23, Marcos welcomed 343 returnees from Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City. Cacdac said Bahrain’s airspace was closed and airspace in Kuwait and Qatar was limited or restricted, requiring some Filipinos to cross by land to Riyadh before flying home.
The new allocation also covers support after arrival. Returning OFWs may receive financial assistance, psychosocial counseling, medical assessment, reemployment guidance and livelihood support.
OWWA’s Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay Program has given livelihood aid to 664 recently returned OFWs, with beneficiaries eligible for up to P20,000 in small business start-up assistance.
DMW has also held 15 Bayanihan Para Sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network and Job Fairs to connect returnees with local and overseas job options, livelihood programs and financial literacy services.
Marcos later welcomed reports of a possible U.S.-Iran ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on June 16, calling them among the best news the Philippines could hope for.
