The provincial and city governments of Iloilo, through their respective Public Employment Service Offices (PESOs), have profiled 250 Ilonggo overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) currently in the Middle East.

Iloilo City PESO Manager Gab Umadhay, in a media interview, said they are closely monitoring 119 OFWs who are residents of the city – 17 in Israel, two in Oman, 28 in Qatar, six in the United Arab Emirates, one in Bahrain, 32 in Kuwait, 29 in Saudi Arabia and four in Jerusalem.

“Most are saying they are in safe conditions. They said they are also near bombing areas, but when we asked if they wanted to come home, their response was: they were not ready,” Umadhay said, adding that the OFWs are “generally okay.”

Umadhay said the OFW in Bahrain was supposedly repatriated due to an issue with the employer, but was on hold because of a flight cancellation.

He said that in case of repatriation, the names of the OFWs will be forwarded to the Department of Migrant Workers, which handles the processing and other logistical needs.

Once they arrive in Manila, the city government will assist them in returning to Iloilo, he added.

Meanwhile, Umadhay said they will be creating WhatsApp and Telegram accounts to provide access for OFWs in areas where Facebook is prohibited.

“Within the day, our WhatsApp and Telegram accounts are ready for queries of migrant workers with no access to Facebook messenger,” he said.

He added that while they have not recorded any Ilonggo OFW in red zones, particularly Iran, they are not discounting the possibility of Ilonggos working there.

Based on their record, around 10,000 residents of Iloilo City are deployed in the Middle East, particularly in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

On the other hand, Provincial PESO Manager Cynthia Dario said they have profiled 128 Ilonggos from various towns in the province who are working in the Middle East.

“Out of this 128, there are 123 who declared that they are safe and five are unsafe. They are unsafe for the reason that they are near the naval bases of the US (United States),” she said.

Dario said they are not allowed to go out because of the current situation.

Since Feb. 28, the provincial government, through its PESO, has posted 24/7 emergency hotlines for possible assistance and for close monitoring of the situation.

“Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. is urging Ilonggo OFWs in the Middle East to be updated and follow the advisories issued by the Philippine Embassy. They should keep calm and be ready for an emergency alert. We have emergency numbers for them or their families to call so we can guide them,” Dario said.

Around 57,000 residents of the province have been deployed to work in the Middle East.

She said they are ready to assist in case of requests for repatriation by endorsing them to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“We will serve as their bridge. So far, there are no requests for repatriation,” she said.PNA