299 Pinoys evacuated safely from Middle East
Some 299 Filipinos affected by rising tensions in the Middle East returned safely to the Philippines on Thursday, arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Dubai.
The group included 23 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose employers had advised them to leave for their own safety, had completed their contracts or were returning home for personal reasons.
A government team led by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac greeted the arrivals, assuring them of financial, medical and psychosocial support.
They also received assistance from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“On behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., welcome home. We are thankful you are all safe,” Cacdac said. He also thanked Emirates Airlines and the United Arab Emirates government for facilitating the flight to the Philippines.
OFW Negosyo Loan
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said in a statement on Thursday that OFWs, including those displaced by the ongoing Middle East conflict, will soon be able to access loans to help them put up businesses in the Philippines.
The DTI said it had launched an “OFW Negosyo Fund” through its financing arm, the Small Business Corp. (SBCorp.).
An initial P2-billion fund has been allotted for the program, which aims to help OFWs “navigate sudden displacements from work abroad—such as those triggered by growing tensions in the Middle East—and smoothly reintegrate at home by launching sustainable businesses.”
Loan applications will be accepted starting on March 12 through the SBCorp website or mobile app, or through the 1,431 Negosyo Centers nationwide.
Under the program, borrowers may access loans ranging from P30,000 to P20 million, with repayment terms of up to five years.
Eligible borrowers may also receive a one-year grace period on both capital and interest payments. Collateral requirements will be waived for loans of up to P5 million.
The DTI said the initiative seeks to help OFWs convert their earnings abroad into business ventures in the Philippines.
“By converting remittances into productive investments, it creates jobs, stimulates local growth, and honors the vital contributions of our modern-day heroes,” it said.
Amid uncertainty
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the initiative also responds to growing uncertainty overseas.
“Access to capital is often the biggest barrier during these uncertain transitions,” Roque said. “We are committed to opening doors for OFWs ready to come home and invest in their own country, especially when external crises force their hand,” she added.
The program comes amid unrest in the Middle East, which continues to raise concerns about its potential spillover effects on the Philippine economy.
Based on 2025 data from the DMW, about 1.113 million land-based OFWs are in the Middle East. As of Wednesday, at least 1,189 had requested repatriation, according to Owwa.
