The number of Filipinos in the Gulf region seeking inclusion in the government’s repatriation program is increasing as tensions continue in the Middle East, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said.

Speaking in an interview on DZRH’s “Dos Por Dos,” Cacdac said the government is preparing eight chartered flights in the coming days to accommodate affected Filipinos.

“Habang nakikita ng mga kababayan natin na patuloy itong charter effort, mga commercial flight tickets na binibigay natin, land crossings ay dumadami o nadagdagan din kahit papaano ang bilang. It's a life count always," Cacdac said.

He noted that the number of repatriation requests continues to rise as more Filipinos become aware of the government’s ongoing assistance, which includes chartered flights, commercial flight tickets and land crossings.

“May mga 2,000 tayo napipintong iuwi at meron tayong eight charter flights in the next few days coming up. Kaya patuloy lang po itong effort na ito," he stated.

Cacdac said the chartered flights are operating at full capacity, citing his recent experience joining one of the flights from Dubai.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged challenges in securing commercial flight bookings, particularly bulk seat reservations, despite continued operations in some areas such as the United Arab Emirates.

“Ang commercial flights nagpapatuloy halimbawa sa UAE, pero ang problema ay hindi tayo makasecure ng maramihang black bookings, seat bookings na tinatawag. Kaya ito ang nagbibigay ng pangangailangan sa mga chartering," he said.

This limitation, he said, has increased the government’s reliance on chartered flights, allowing faster repatriation of Filipinos.

Without chartered flights, Cacdac noted that returning Filipinos could wait as long as one and a half months, compared to about two weeks under the current arrangements.

The DMW continues to coordinate repatriation efforts as the situation in the Middle East remains uncertain.