Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Filipinos and foreigners arrive and leave from the country through the NAIA airport in Manila on Jan. 13, 2017. Visitors and all other passort holders who enter into the country pass through the concourse of Terminal 1. Jonathan L. Cellona

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177373023573420170113-airport-ofw-travel-remittance--32-JC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Filipinos and foreigners arrive and leave from the country through the NAIA airport in Manila on Jan. 13, 2017. Visitors and all other passort holders who enter into the country pass through the concourse of Terminal 1. <em>Jonathan L. Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) — The Philippine government is mounting a new repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia next week for Filipinos stranded in the Middle East due to the US-Israel and Iran conflict, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo Melicor said on Tuesday.</div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/3/13/more-filipinos-dependents-to-be-repatriated-from-middle-east-2102">More Filipinos, dependents to be repatriated from Middle East</a></div><p>While Qatar will be resuming flights from Doha to Manila on March 18, seats have been fully booked so the Philippine government still needs to charter flights to bring home its citizens, Melicor told state television PTV, adding that there will be &quot;10 emergency flights&quot; so that there will be at least one flight from Doha to Manila daily.</p><p>&quot;Marami rin yung mga nastranded na hindi naman sila OFWs kung hindi mga visitors so ang Embassy… ginagawa po ang lahat para maiuwi sila,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;They want to leave and they even want to pay kaya lang walang flights kaya ginagawa ng Embassy, tinutulungan sila,&quot; he said.</p><p>While no deaths due to air strikes have been recorded in Qatar, some Filipinos hope to return to the Philippines instead of taking their chances in countries targeted by Iranian drones and missiles.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/15/more-than-300-arrive-from-riyadh-as-repatriation-flights-continue-1101">More than 300 arrive from Riyadh as repatriation flights continue</a></div><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung iba ang feeling nila hindi na sila safe kasi malapit yung mga putok si hinouse muna sila temporarily sa villa,&quot; the Ambassador said.</p><p>&quot;Marami din pong stranded na OFWs na nasa ibang bansa na gustong bumalik dito so ang ginagawa na lang po ng embahada is to coordinate with other Philippine embassies para mabigyan ng visa,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Kasi wala nang flights so kailangan nila magland trip. They have to cross to Saudi, then from Saudi, enter Qatar,&quot; he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/16/tesda-to-link-repatriated-ofws-to-ph-industries-1537">TESDA to link repatriated OFWs to PH industries</a></div><p>So far, the Philippine government has listed 26 OFWs and 11 dependents who are on standby for repatriation flights, said Eduard Ferrer, the Philippines&#x27; Migrant Workers Office head in Doha.</p><p>&quot;Ang challenge na naeencounter natin dito ay ang availability ng flights,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;We are hoping na may available slots pa po ang Qatar Airways na direct flight Doha to Manila,&quot; he said.</p><p>As of March 16, some 100 Filipinos have flown back to the Philippines, and various destinations in Europe, the Americas and Asia, Melicor said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/14/government-chartered-flight-for-repatriates-from-middle-east-lands-in-naia-1836">Government-chartered flight for repatriates from Middle East lands in NAIA</a></div><p>The Philippine government has also helped 27 pilots and air crew members to cross over to Saudi Arabia and board home-bound flights on March 9, he said.</p><p>The Qatari government has been working to keep their Gulf nation safe from drone attacks, and has vowed to provide security for both Qataris and foreign nationals, the Ambassador said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rL_frnjKnP4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M8ymECnlAO0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FDHn5oK4G3I?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bHWHQkJiDi8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine government is mounting a new repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia next week for Filipinos stranded in the Middle East, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo Melicor said on Tuesday.</p>

The Philippine government is mounting a new repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia next week for Filipinos stranded in the Middle East, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo Melicor said on Tuesday.

PH mounts new repatriation flights from Saudi on March 22: ambassador

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PH mounts new repatriation flights from Saudi on March 22: ambassador

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 17, 2026 02:56 PM PHT

|

Updated March 17, 2026 05:35 PM PHT

Read More:

Middle East

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Philippines

overseas Filipino worker

OFW

repatriation

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