A total of 63 Filipinos from Middle East have safely returned to the Philippines, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The latest batch of 32 repatriates from Oman, Saudi Arabia, and UAE arrived in Manila early Wednesday morning and were welcomed by DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.

A day earlier, 31 Filipinos from Oman also returned to the country, with the majority identified as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In an interview with DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Cacdac said the returning Filipinos were a mix of those who had already planned to take vacation leave and those who chose to come home due to concerns over the current situation in the Middle East.

“Kombinasyon po, ‘yong talagang naka-ambang magbakasyon, kasi everyday naman may umuuwi pero naantala. Meron ‘yong iba nakapagpaalam naman nang maayos sa employer at sinabi nilang gusto na nilang umuwi. [Dahil] may pangamba sila sa mga pangyayari,” Cacdac explained.

The DMW chief added that around 600 Filipinos arriving on different flights have already received post-repatriation assistance from the government. Some of them were tourists who were also affected by travel disruptions.

“‘Yong mga sinasalubong namin mula flights, mga 600 na ‘yon, binigyan namin ng post-repatriation assistance merong mga [nakasamang] turista.”

However, Cacdac admitted that airspace limitations in some countries in the region continue to pose challenges for evacuation efforts. Because of this, authorities are exploring alternative routes, including cross-border exits, to ensure the safe return of Filipinos.

Cacdac is also set to travel to Dubai later today to oversee a chartered flight that will transport Filipinos who wish to return to the Philippines.

According to the DMW, around 8,000 OFWs in the Gulf region have so far been assisted by the government. Out of this number, 110 Filipinos have already been repatriated to the Philippines.

The government expects more Filipinos to be brought home once airspace restrictions in other countries are lifted and once OFWs located in critical areas are able to cross borders.

Cacdac expressed hope that Abu Dhabi would soon reopen its airspace for flights bound for Dubai, noting that land border crossings are currently being used to facilitate evacuation.

“‘Yong Abu Dhabi hopefully makapagbukas na rin ng air space pero papuntang Dubai. Meron tayong mga land border crossing kasi ngayon na isinasagawa.”

He added that some Filipinos who arrived in the Philippines recently were transported across borders through coordination between the Migrant Workers Office and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), particularly from the Israel side to the United Arab Emirates.

“‘Yong umuwi kagabi, tinawid ‘yan sa one country to another ng ating migrant workers office at OWWA, both from Israel side and the UAE side.”

Despite the tensions in the region, Cacdac noted that most Emirates flights are still operating within Dubai and other parts of the Middle East.

The ongoing repatriation efforts are being carried out under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino workers affected by the tensions in the Middle East.