The number of Ilonggo overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking to return home amid escalating tensions in the Middle East is growing, with both the Iloilo City and provincial governments monitoring affected workers and preparing assistance.
At least 15 OFWs from Iloilo City have expressed their intention to be repatriated due to safety concerns linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, according to Gabriel “Gab” Umadhay, head of the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Iloilo City.
Umadhay said the city government is currently awaiting guidance from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) regarding the procedures for repatriation and assistance to the affected workers.
Records from the city government show that 757 Ilonggo OFWs from Iloilo City are currently deployed across the Middle East, with 324 already verified by authorities and 385 still undergoing validation.
The workers are based in Israel, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jerusalem.
To assist those who may return home, the city government has prepared financial support under the Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
In addition, 81 families of OFWs have already been enrolled in the TUPAD of the Department of Labor and Employment, providing them with 10 days of temporary work while waiting for further developments.
Meanwhile, the provincial government is also responding to requests for assistance from Ilonggo workers abroad.
Out of 10,647 OFWs from the province of Iloilo currently working in the Middle East, 25 have already sought help from the provincial government, expressing their desire to return home due to fears triggered by the ongoing crisis.
According to Cynthia P. Dario, manager of PESO–Iloilo Province, the 25 workers have been considered “unsafe” after reporting their situation through their respective municipal PESO offices or through the PESO hotline.
Some of them are reportedly working near United States military bases and have become alarmed by reports and sounds of missile attacks in the region.
The affected workers are currently deployed in Bahrain (1), Israel (1), Jordan (3), Kuwait (7), Qatar (4), Saudi Arabia (2), and United Arab Emirates (7).
Dario said coordination is already underway with the Department of Migrant Workers and other concerned national government agencies to ensure that the workers are included in the list of those eligible for repatriation.
Authorities assured Ilonggo families that both the city and provincial governments remain in close coordination with national agencies to monitor the situation and extend assistance to OFWs affected by the escalating conflict in the Middle East.IMT
