Flight availability remains the central obstacle for Filipinos seeking to leave Qatar, the Philippines’ envoy to Doha said Tuesday, even as the government pushes forward with emergency transport arrangements to bring stranded nationals home from the Middle East.
Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Mardomel Celo Melicor told state television PTV, as reported by ABS-CBN News, that a new government repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia is being planned for next week. Qatar Airways resumed Doha-Manila service on March 18, but seats on those commercial routes have already been taken up in full — leaving charter flights as the only viable option for many.
Ten emergency flights are being arranged in total, aiming to guarantee at least one Doha-to-Manila departure each day, Melicor said.
The waiting list managed by the Philippine government’s Migrant Workers Office in Doha currently stands at 26 OFWs and 11 dependents cleared for repatriation, according to Eduard Ferrer, who heads the office.
“Ang challenge na naeencounter natin dito ay ang availability ng flights,” Ferrer said. “We are hoping na may available slots pa po ang Qatar Airways na direct flight Doha to Manila.”
Not all of those seeking to return are workers. Melicor said tourists and visitors are also among the stranded — many of them willing to cover their own passage but unable to find seats.
“Marami rin yung mga nastranded na hindi naman sila OFWs kung hindi mga visitors so ang Embassy… ginagawa po ang lahat para maiuwi sila,” he said. “They want to leave and they even want to pay kaya lang walang flights kaya ginagawa ng Embassy, tinutulungan sila.”
Others are caught in a more complicated bind — OFWs from neighboring countries who have made it into Saudi Arabia and are now attempting to reach Qatar overland before boarding a flight home.
“Kasi wala nang flights so kailangan nila magland trip. They have to cross to Saudi, then from Saudi, enter Qatar,” Melicor said. The embassy has been coordinating with other Philippine missions to arrange visas for those in transit.
Some Filipinos in Qatar have chosen to wait out the situation rather than attempt travel through countries still being targeted by Iranian drone and missile strikes. Melicor said several have been temporarily housed in a villa.
“‘Yung iba ang feeling nila hindi na sila safe kasi malapit yung mga putok si hinouse muna sila temporarily sa villa,” he said.
As of March 16, around 100 Filipinos had departed the country, bound for the Philippines and various other destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Earlier, on March 9, the embassy helped 27 pilots and air crew cross into Saudi Arabia to connect with flights home.
Qatar’s government has committed to protecting both its citizens and foreign residents from drone attacks, according to the ambassador.
