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Pia Lee-Brago - The Philippine Star
March 18, 2026 | 12:00am
Photo from the DFA website shows the Philippine embassy team in Singapore, together with the 24 overseas Filipino workers from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-four Filipino repatriates have arrived in Singapore from Saudi Arabia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
The Philippine embassy in Singapore assisted the Filipino repatriates from Jeddah, who were transiting in Singapore on their way home to the Philippines.
The group, composed of nine male and 15 female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), arrived on Friday via a Singapore-chartered flight which departed from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah on Thursday.
Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo Macaraig welcomed the distressed OFWs, who had been unable to secure outbound flights from Jeddah due to limited flight availability amid the ongoing situation in the region.
The group was welcomed by Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal bin Ibrahim, who was present at Changi Terminal 2 to oversee the arrival of the evacuation flight.
Filipinos seeking assistance are advised to contact the Philippine embassies and consulates general in their area through the contact numbers and official channels posted on its website and social media pages.
The Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Philippine consulate general in Dubai and Northern Emirates facilitated the safe repatriation of 442 Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates affected by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The repatriation was mounted by the Philippine government via chartered flight, which landed in Manila on Saturday.
The repatriates were composed of 124 stranded Filipino tourists and distressed OFWs. Of the total number of repatriates, 354 came from Dubai and the Northern Emirates, while 88 were from Abu Dhabi.
12 Pinoy sailors in Iraq attack safe
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) yesterday confirmed that all 12 Filipino seafarers aboard a vessel attacked near the waters of Iraq are safe.
At a press briefing yesterday, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the ship was attacked three days ago while traveling near an Iraqi port.
Cacdac said their manning agencies are arranging their return to the Philippines.
He added that more than 7,300 Filipino seafarers operating in high-risk areas, including the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, have been accounted for.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. admitted yesterday that the Philippines does not have the capability to answer US President Donald Trump’s call for its partner or allied nations to send ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East.
“We don’t have the capability to escort. For us, that’s moot and academic,” Teodoro told reporters — Michael Punongbayan, Christine Boton
