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| Secretary Cacdac leads welcome for the repatriated OFWs |
Nearly 300 overseas Filipino workers arrived at around 6am today, March 5, at Ninoy Aquino International Airport after being repatriated from the Middle East.
In a statement, the Department of Migrant Workers
said 299 OFWs were flown from Dubai aboard Emirates Airlines Flight 336 which
took off at 10:07pm last night.
Some of the returnees were advised by their
employers to back to the Philippines to avoid being caught in the ongoing
conflict in the region, while others had completed their contracts and decided
to go home.
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac told the returning
Filipinos that the Philippine government was thankful that they managed to return
home safe.
“Also, we are much thankful to the Emirates,
to the UAE government for taking care of you, and for preparing a flight to
Manila as we provide support,” said Cacdac.
He said the DMW provided the retunees with
financial support and other forms of assistance.
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| Filipinos stranded in HK were given free return air tickets to Manila and other assistance |
In Hong Kong yesterday, the Migrant Workers Office also repatriated more than 80 Filipinos who were stranded in the city on their way to various destinations in the Middle East.
The returnees who comprised OFWs on their way
to their job sites and tourists who were transiting through Hong Kong were all
provided with free tickets back to the Philippines, as well as temporary
accommodation, food and some cash.
The MWO advised all Filipinos who intend to
fly from Hong Kong to another destination in the conflict-hit areas to check
with their airlines first to ensure they can complete their journey.
Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. advised
all Filipinos in the Middle East to follow local advisories and stay put for
the meantime, as repatriation efforts are being hindered by airport closures, inadequate
information and friendly fire incidents.
Around 2.2 million Filipinos live and work in
the Middle East.
The renewed conflict was sparked by a series
of attacks launched by the United States and Israel on Iran, which retaliated
by bombing targets across the region.
