CEBU CITY — Four overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Central Visayas have returned home after being caught in the conflict between Israel and Iran. They also received financial assistance to help them reintegrate into their communities.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office 7 (OWWA-7) said the repatriation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Iran, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and OWWA.
OWWA-7 emphasized that this was part of a whole-of-government strategy to protect OFWs amid international crises.
The four OFWs arrived in Manila on June 28, 2025, and were granted a total of P680,000 in financial aid.
Each received P75,000 from OWWA, P75,000 from the DMW, and P20,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
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On June 29, a shrimp hatchery technician from Cebu returned via the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. OWWA-7 facilitated his transportation back to his residence in Talamban, Cebu City.
Later that same day, another OFW arrived — a filing clerk based in the United Arab Emirates who had traveled to Iran with her employer. She was assisted on her return journey to Talisay City, Cebu.
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Two more OFWs, also hatchery technicians from Iran, landed at Sibulan Airport in Dumaguete City on June 30. Their arrival and transport were coordinated by the OWWA-7 satellite offices in Negros Oriental and Siquijor, which ensured they safely reached their respective hometowns.
These four workers were among the 22 documented OFWs from Central Visayas deployed in Iran. Based on data from OWWA-7, of the 22, 13 are from Cebu, six from Bohol, one from Negros Oriental, and two from Siquijor.
OWWA-7 clarified that these figures only account for documented OFWs. The data do not include undocumented Filipinos who may also be working in these areas and are not part of official government records.
Across the broader region, a total of 18,919 OFWs from Central Visayas are deployed in five conflict-affected Middle Eastern countries: Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, and Lebanon.
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Kuwait hosts the largest number, with 16,849 OFWs from Central Visayas. Of this figure, 9,752 are from Cebu, 3,592 from Bohol, 3,231 from Negros Oriental, and 274 from Siquijor.
Jordan follows with 1,023 OFWs from the region, 523 from Cebu, 306 from Bohol, 175 from Negros Oriental, and 19 from Siquijor.
In Lebanon, OWWA 7 recorded 633 OFWs, composed of 416 from Cebu, 112 from Bohol, 89 from Negros Oriental, and 16 from Siquijor.
Israel has 392 Central Visayas OFWs — 194 from Cebu, 125 from Bohol, 71 from Negros Oriental, and two from Siquijor.
