Over 400 Filipinos returned home amid Middle East war, DMW says

NINETY more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) arrived in the Philippines on Sunday evening, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Monday, amid its repatriation efforts since the Middle East war broke out.

On board Emirates Airline EK 334, 90 OFWs, including 33 that availed the government’s repatriation offer, returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the agency said in a statement. The batch also includes OFWs stranded in Dubai.

This brings the total number of repatriated Filipinos to more than 400 as of March 8, including 399 OFWs and 12 dependents. The department started repatriation efforts on March 5, less than a week since the United States and Israeli forces launched coordinated airstrikes on Iranian targets on Feb. 28.

There are an estimated 2.41 million Filipinos living in Middle Eastern countries, led by the United Arab Emirates with 975,000, followed by Saudi Arabia at 813,00, Qatar at 250,000 and Kuwait with 211,000, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. There are about 800 Filipinos in Iran and 31,000 in Israel.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has directed major telecommunications providers in the country to roll out free communication services for OFWs stationed in the Middle East and their families in the Philippines.

In a social media announcement on Monday, Mr. Marcos said this initiative is part of a broader effort to provide “further assistance” to the estimated 2.5 million Filipinos living in the region.

He said the government’s “Libreng Tawag Program” covers several countries, including Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

“Our public telecommunications entities will also set up free call stations in selected business centers located in major malls to help families stay in touch with their loved ones abroad,” Mr. Marcos said.

“Through these efforts, we want to ensure that our kababayans can remain connected with their families, offer comfort to one another, and confirm their safety without additional financial burden,” he added.

This has prompted local telecommunication companies to expand their communication assistance for Filipinos in the Middle East.

In separate media releases on Monday, PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom, Inc. said they are extending free call and connectivity services for Filipinos in the Middle East.

PLDT said it is extending all free services and is setting up free call stations in select PLDT and Smart stores in malls.

The Manuel V. Pangilinan-led telecommunications company said the free calls will be available until March 15, and will be made available through its one-stop marketplace, TinBo (Tindahan ni Bossing) which is available for users in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. 

In the Philippines, customers can make free calls to the Gulf states, Israel, and Iran until March 15 for PLDT Home and Enterprise customers.

“The PLDT Group encourages Filipinos in affected regions to stay vigilant, follow local advisories, and stay in touch with Philippine embassies and consulates. These efforts are in line with the PLDT Group’s mission to deliver meaningful connections that uplift lives and empower every Filipino, and its support for the government’s overall digitalization and nation-building agenda,” PLDT said.

Meanwhile, Globe said it has provided roaming packages for customers in affected countries like Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

It said that the complimentary package includes 15 minutes of incoming and outgoing calls, 15 text messages, and 1 gigabyte worth of data valid for seven days.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in ����ý through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Ashley Erika O. Jose