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Distressed overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain wait ahead of their repatriation to the Philippines via an OWWA-chartered flight on March 14, 2026.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 341 distressed and stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by escalating tensions in the Middle East are set to return to the Philippines through a special chartered flight organized by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the agency said on Saturday, March 14.
The returning OFWs come from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait and Bahrain, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The chartered flight is scheduled to depart from Riyadh for Manila on Saturday.
OFWs from Bahrain are being assisted by teams from OWWA, DMW and the Philippine embassies in Riyadh and Manama to cross land borders safely and reach Riyadh, where they will board the chartered flight home.
Meanwhile, several OFWs from Kuwait are receiving government support in processing travel clearances and land border crossings to reach the staging area in Riyadh.
The government has also provided various forms of welfare assistance while repatriation arrangements are being completed, including help with travel documentation, temporary accommodation, transport support and other urgent needs.
"Ang pangunahing layunin ng repatriation operation na ito ay matiyak ang kaligtasan ng ating mga OFW at maihatid sila nang ligtas pabalik sa kanilang mga pamilya sa Pilipinas," OWWA said in a statement posted on Facebook.
(The primary objective of this repatriation operation is to ensure the safety of our OFWs and bring them home safely to their families in the Philippines.)
The operation is funded through the Emergency Repatriation Fund administered by OWWA to guarantee a safe and orderly return for Filipinos affected by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Additional charter flights are being arranged to continue repatriation efforts and assist other distressed OFWs or those wishing to return to the Philippines from affected areas.
The special charter flight is expected to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on March 15, 2026. OWWA personnel and a medical team will be on hand to provide immediate assistance upon arrival.
"Sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., pinangunahan ng OWWA ang pag-aayos ng charter flight na ito upang matulungan ang mga nais makauwi mula KSA, Kuwait, at Bahrain dahil sa patuloy na tensyon sa Middle East," the agency said.
(Under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., OWWA led the arrangements for this charter flight to assist those wishing to return from KSA, Kuwait and Bahrain due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.)
Conflict across the Middle East continues to escalate after the United States and Israel carried out wide-ranging strikes on Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader on February 28.
Iran has responded with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. These strikes have extended beyond military targets, hitting civilian sites and energy facilities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs estimates 2.4 million Filipinos live and work across the Middle East, with the largest concentrations in the UAE (973,000), Saudi Arabia (813,000), Qatar (250,000) and Kuwait (211,000). About 31,000 are in Israel and 800 in Iran.
