338 repatriated Pinoys arrive from Middle East

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March 30, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 338 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), their dependents and stranded Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates arrived yesterday on the government’s sixth chartered repatriation flight.

The flight landed at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at around 3 p.m., carrying 203 OFWs, 125 family members and 10 stranded Filipinos, according to Department of Migrant Workers.

They were received by the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, along with personnel from the Office of the President, Department of Health and Department of Social Welfare and Development, who provided assistance and services upon arrival.

Meanwhile, the Recruitment Industry Crisis Coordination Council (RICCC) has launched a digital crisis monitoring system aimed at strengthening the protection and welfare of OFWs, particularly those in the Middle East amid ongoing regional tensions.

The platform, called SAFE (System for Assistance and Frontline Engagement), was developed in partnership with CrisisOps and allows OFWs to check in and report their safety status during emergencies. Through the system, recruitment agencies can monitor workers in real time, identify those in distress, and coordinate immediate assistance.

RICCC executive director Lito Soriano demonstrated the platform during the Samahang Plaridel Media Forum, showing how the system can quickly detect and respond to cases involving distressed or abused workers.

RICCC said the platform complements existing directives requiring private recruitment agencies to monitor and report on their deployed workers.

Initially rolled out earlier this month, the system is designed to be accessible even to undocumented OFWs and is intended for use in various crisis situations worldwide. Users can input their location, agency details, and condition, indicating whether they are safe, need assistance, or are in an emergency situation.

Data submitted through the system is immediately relayed to monitoring teams, enabling recruitment agencies to coordinate with the DMW and other government offices for appropriate interventions, including possible repatriation.

The recruitment industry said the SAFE platform is envisioned as a long-term tool to enhance real-time monitoring and response capabilities for OFWs facing emergencies abroad.

OFWS can log in to the platform and provide updates on their safety condition through https://riccc.crisisops.ai.