Major Philippine telecommunications firms have rolled out the Libreng Tawag Program, opening free call lines for families seeking to reach overseas Filipino workers stationed across the Middle East as the regional conflict continues.
The program covers Filipinos in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
“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,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.
Marcos disclosed in a social media post that he had instructed telecom providers to make the service possible at no cost to affected workers and their households back home.
“I have directed our telecommunications companies to provide free communication services between our OFWs and their families here in the Philippines,” he said.
Beyond remote access, telecom operators are also preparing dedicated free call stations inside selected business centers at major shopping malls, giving families on the ground a physical venue to contact relatives abroad.
