By Samantha Yu
MANILA – The Philippine government has assisted overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by canceled flights to the Middle East amid escalating regional tensions.
In a social media post on Monday, the Department of Migrant Workers said its office in Hong Kong assisted 132 OFWs whose scheduled flights to Riyadh and Dubai were canceled after missile exchanges between the United States, Iran and Israel heightened security concerns in the region.
Among those affected were 57 OFWs bound for Abu Dhabi who were stranded at Hong Kong International Airport and later returned to Manila early Monday.
While waiting for updates on their travel plans, the workers were provided with food and temporary shelter.
On Sunday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Patricia Yvonne Caunan, administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, visited Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1 and 3 to check on the situation of stranded OFWs.
Officials ensured that affected workers received the support they needed and were briefed on government measures to safeguard Filipinos working in the Middle East.
Flight disruptions were caused by renewed tensions in the region that prompted several countries to tighten security and temporarily restrict portions of their airspace.
As a result, a number of airlines canceled or rerouted flights to major Gulf hubs, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier reported that around two million Filipinos were working across the Middle East as of 2025.
