With missile strikes rippling across Gulf states and over two million Filipinos living in the Middle East, a senior senator is pressing the government to move now — before the situation worsens.
Senator Win Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, called on the Department of Migrant Workers to begin preparations for the possible repatriation of OFWs stationed in Iran, Israel, and neighboring countries, citing the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the region.
The Finance Committee has already raised the DMW’s Aksyon Fund from P1.2 billion to P2 billion — an increase of P800 million — to ensure the government has sufficient resources to respond. “The Aksyon Fund under the DMW is used for the repatriation of OFWs and other forms of emergency assistance for those in distress,” Gatchalian said.
The DMW places the number of Filipinos currently in the Middle East at approximately 2.443 million.
The call came after the United States and Israel launched what was described as a “preemptive strike” on Iran, which was followed by missile attacks targeting Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait — all countries hosting U.S. military installations and significant Filipino communities. “Our priority is the safety of our OFWs. The government must be ready to repatriate those affected,” the senator said.
Gatchalian separately pressed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to get ahead of anticipated oil price increases by fast-tracking implementation of the Pantawid-Pasada program. Some P2.497 billion remains available for disbursement under the fuel subsidy initiative for public utility vehicle operators.
