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TANKERS IN GULF. Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026.
REUTERS
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac says the government needs an additional P7.3 billion for further repatriation efforts and financial assistance for affected OFWs
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said a total of 5,601 Filipino seafarers are stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac told the House ways and means committee on Wednesday, April 8, that the Filipinos are aboard 470 vessels stuck in the area.
“Since Day 1, we have an electronic monitoring system, whereby the manning agencies electronically report to us… We have a situation room in the DMW. Every day, we are briefed about their situation,” Cacdac said.
“We make sure all ships, all the seafarers, have adequate water supplies. In general, the manning agencies said they are good for 30 to 45 days before they purchase from suppliers along the Saudi, Qatari, or UAE coastline,” he added.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Maria Andrelita Austria said that while there are 100 Philippine-registered vessels, only two operate within the conflict area.
“These two ships are manned by an all-Filipino crew. We have sent Iranian authorities a request for their safe passage, and we are hopeful that the clearance for the two vessels will be given soon,” she added.
Cacdac said as of Monday, April 6, about 4,611 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been repatriated, including 3,736 who returned on government-funded flights.
Cacdac said over 2,000 Filipinos are still awaiting repatriation as of this posting, while 3,500 others are in need of financial assistance.
“This is a live count… but what we’re trying to do right now is project,” Cacdac explained, estimating that 200,000 OFWs and their dependents would need assistance over the next two to three years.
Cacdac said the government needs P7.3 billion for the repatriation efforts, including P5 billion in financial assistance to the migrant workers, and P1 billion in chartering flights. – Rappler.com
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