A total of 338 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), their family members, and stranded Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates safely returned to the Philippines on Sunday, March 29, 2026, aboard the sixth government-chartered flight. The aircraft landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
Upon arrival, the repatriates were warmly received by government officials led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), in coordination with key agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Presidential Management Staff (PMS), Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the Philippine Air Force.
The government ensured immediate assistance for all returnees. This included financial aid, medical support, transportation assistance to their respective provinces, and temporary accommodation for those requiring short-term lodging in Metro Manila.
Of the 338 individuals onboard, 203 were OFWs, 125 were their relatives, and 10 were stranded Filipinos.
With this latest arrival, the Philippine government has successfully repatriated a total of 3,248 Filipinos from the Middle East amid ongoing regional tensions.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac highlighted the strong inter-agency coordination that made the repatriation effort efficient and seamless. He underscored that the initiative aligns with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to prioritize the safety, welfare, and well-being of Filipinos abroad affected by the situation in the Middle East.
