Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1666731687667289%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday welcomed back some 300 Filipino repatriates from the Middle East, as the US-Israel war against Iran entered its fourth week. </p><p>Marcos neither delivered a speech nor gave a statement to the media, but was seen talking to several OFWs who just arrived in Manila.</p><p>The President was also seen sending them off as they boarded government-sponsored buses bound for different provinces.</p><p>There were 343 OFWs from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia aboard the repatriation flight that arrived at the Villamor Air Base from Riyadh, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac told reporters.</p><p>“Papasalamat din tayo sa pamahalaan ng kaharihan ng Saudi kasi sila yung tinawiran ng tatlong bansa,” he said.</p><p>“We are slated to have a fifth and a sixth in succession from the UAE,” he said, noting that the United Arab Emirates “has about a million OFWs.”</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdmwphl%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0JYp3UxMPtsZzf3T1fCcGPM3oyrei9sjzFMUvXakLb8AxV7NgNa58efF4SF7868Ryl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="786" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>The DMW is coordinating with their employers so that these repatriated OFWs can still have an option to return to the Gulf region once the conflict stabilizes, Cacdac said.</p><p>“Hindi naman naputol ang employment relationship eh. Nagpaalam ng mahusay sa employer. Hindi naman na-away kasi nagkaroon ng problema with the employer. Hindi external circumstances. So pwede naman sila bumalik,” he said.</p><p>“Definitely mayroon naman financial assistance. May financial assistance bilang pauna and then may reintegration programme services such as livelihood, capital, employment facilitation,” he said.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2179619676120299%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>REPATRIATION EYED FOR 1,2000 OFWs</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Philippine government is looking to repatriate 1,200 overseas Filipino workers from the Middle East in the coming days, Cacdac said. </p><p>The government is making an effort to establish land crossings to the United Arab Emirates as several air spaces in the Gulf remained closed, Cacdac told reporters. </p><p>“We have an increasing number… We are looking at around at least 1,200 to be repatriated in the coming days,” Cacdac said.</p><p>“Mas maraming-maraming flights out of UAE kaya we could charter out of UAE kaya ongoing din yung effort sa UAE,” he said.</p><p>The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is working closely with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ensure that there will be sufficient funding for repatriation efforts.</p><p>“Our teams have also been meeting on the ground with regard to budgeting resources, financial resources and thus far kakayanin naman,” he said.</p><p>The Philippines has been mounting several repatriation flights from the Middle East since mid-March, weeks after Iran retaliated against air strikes from US-Israeli forces in late February.</p><p>A Filipino from Tel-Aviv was killed in the missile attack. Her remains were repatriated earlier this month.</p><div><iframe width="726" height="408" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YZcG1TbfucI" title="Pope Leo calls wars in the Middle East and beyond a &#x27;scandal&#x27; for humanity" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <iframe width="827" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-VLsF5m4POM" title="Israel&#x27;s Netanyahu says Iran &#x27;threatens entire world&#x27; after missile strike in Arad" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div> </div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday welcomed back some 300 Filipino repatriates from the Middle East.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday welcomed back some 300 Filipino repatriates from the Middle East.

Marcos welcomes Filipino repatriates from Middle East

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Marcos welcomes Filipino repatriates from Middle East

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 23, 2026 08:44 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 23, 2026 09:18 AM PHT

Read More:

Marcos

Bongbong Marcos

Marcos Jr

repatriation

repatriate

Israel

war

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Trump

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