Private recruitment agencies deploying Filipino workers to the Middle East are now required to file regular welfare monitoring reports under a new directive from the Department of Migrant Workers.
Advisory 10-2026, issued by the DMW, covers workers deployed to nine countries — Bahrain, Israel, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, and the UAE — as the regional security situation continues to deteriorate.
The directive requires agencies to submit reports through the OFW Welfare Monitoring System (OWMS), covering not only workers already abroad but also those who were issued Overseas Employment Certificates or OFW Passes but remain stranded at Philippine exit points and were unable to depart.
Beyond filing reports, agencies are directed to confirm the exact location of each deployed worker and keep updated employer contact details on file. “PRAs must establish and maintain active communication with their partner employers and foreign placement agencies to regularly monitor the status and well-being of deployed OFWs, confirm the exact current location of each worker, and obtain updated contact numbers and employer information,” the DMW said.
The DMW is also holding agencies accountable for disrupted travel arrangements. Should flights be cancelled, rerouted, or rebooked due to airspace restrictions or force majeure events, the DMW said recruitment firms must arrange and pay for alternative travel under existing contractual obligations and department regulations.
Agencies are further required to build contingency plans that include evacuation protocols, emergency contact numbers, temporary shelter arrangements, and repatriation strategies should conditions worsen.
The DMW said the monitoring requirement is meant to enable faster coordination in emergencies, including repatriation operations and deployment resumptions once conditions allow.
