More than 1,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have expressed their intention to return to the Philippines as tensions escalate in the Middle East, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said. OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said that as of 12 noon, 1,189 OFWs had signified their desire to be repatriated. The breakdown of repatriation requests is as follows: Bahrain — 278; Abu Dhabi — 246; Dubai — 231; Qatar — 173; Kuwait — 62; Israel — 46; and Lebanon — 5. “The total repatriation requests received from OFWs is 1,189,” Caunan said during a press briefing. Regional tensions intensified over the weekend following joint military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran. Despite the developments, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) clarified that there is no mass repatriation at this time. He noted that workers in Abu Dhabi remain on-site, while some in Dubai have shifted to work-from-home arrangements, with minimal work disruptions so far. He added that host government protocols in the UAE have helped maintain relative stability, assuring residents of continued protection. Meanwhile, Alfonso Ver said the UAE remains relatively calm, with the country’s defenses against drone attacks generally effective. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the government is preparing alternative evacuation modes, including land travel, as air transport from affected countries in the Gulf and Israel is currently not possible. “We will be guided by the alert levels determined by the DFA.”
