Around 18,000 overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East have already received government assistance as the Department of Migrant Workers rolls out food items, grocery packs, and financial aid to those whose incomes have been disrupted by the ongoing regional crisis, Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
Cacdac, speaking in a radio interview cited by the Daily Tribune, said workers in sectors such as hospitality, transport, and airport services have borne the brunt of employment disruptions, with many caught in “no work, no pay” arrangements as demand in the region softens.
“We are continuously providing food items, grocery packs for those in need, and financial assistance for those whose work has been disrupted due to ‘no work, no pay’ situations,” he said.
The welfare rollout follows a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who Cacdac said ordered government agencies to prioritize OFW protection from the earliest days of the crisis.
“Since Day 1 of this crisis, the President ordered the provision of welfare services and protection,” Cacdac said.
Despite alerts and curfews imposed by some Gulf states in recent days, Cacdac said Filipinos in the region remain in a stable condition. He urged workers to treat host government safety protocols as binding rather than advisory.
“The rule here is to follow—follow the country protocols, especially safety protocols of host governments, because they know best how to protect their residents and citizens,” he said.
On the employer side, Cacdac said coordination efforts are underway in Israel, where authorities have appealed to employers to avoid placing workers under no-pay arrangements. Some establishments have responded by shifting to reduced work schemes rather than full suspensions.
Drawing from a recent visit to Dubai, Cacdac said businesses across the affected sectors are making efforts to stay operational, though conditions remain uneven.
“We guide our OFWs and ensure that assistance is available, from coordination with labor ministries, dialogue with employers, to providing grocery packs and financial assistance,” he said.
The DMW continues to monitor developments in the Gulf, maintaining direct lines with host countries’ labor ministries as the situation evolves.
