MANILA, Philippines — Thirty-one overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose repatriation flight from Qatar was delayed due to an airspace shutdown are now on their way home, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
“We are boarded for home. Thank you all for your prayers and support. God bless our trip,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced in a Facebook post Tuesday, sharing that he and the repatriated Filipinos had boarded a commercial flight to Manila from Doha.
The repatriates—26 from Israel, three from Jordan, one from Palestine, and one from Qatar—were part of the Philippine government’s ongoing evacuation effort for Filipinos in conflict-affected regions, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure the safety of Filipino nationals abroad.
Earlier, Cacdac had reported that their original commercial flight was disrupted after Qatari authorities temporarily closed the country’s airspace in response to an Iranian missile strike targeting a US airbase in the Gulf state.
The attack came after the US carried out strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites over the weekend.
“We were asked to deplane and stay safely inside the terminal at Doha Hamad International Airport,” Cacdac wrote in an earlier update.
The DMW chief thanked the Qatari Ministry of Interior for its swift action in reopening the airspace and coordinating with airport authorities to maintain the security of all passengers.
“With the Qatari Ministry of Interior on top of the situation, the Qatari airspace is now open, and we are now awaiting confirmation of the new schedule of our flight,” he noted prior to boarding.
While at the Doha airport, Cacdac also extended assistance to two Filipino workers who missed their connecting flight to Pagadian due to the delays.
He assured them that the DMW and OWWA would cover the rebooking costs.
The group was originally scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
Cacdac also urged Filipino communities in the Middle East to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information. He encouraged OFWs to rely only on official advisories from the DMW, the Philippine Embassy, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
“For the families of the repatriated OFWs, please be assured that we are actively working to finalize new flight arrangements. Updates will be provided directly through official DMW and OWWA communication channels,” he said.