Two Filipino workers in Iran, called OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), want to go back home to the Philippines because things are getting scary where they are. These two workers are from Cebu and Siquijor, which are places in Central Visayas.
Why do they want to go home?
Because of the conflict between Israel and Iran. The tension between those two countries is making things dangerous, and the OFWs are afraid for their safety.
The families of these two workers were very worried. So, they went to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and asked for help to bring their loved ones home. OWWA is the agency in charge of taking care of Filipino workers abroad.
Even though Siquijor is now part of the new Negros Island Region (NIR), it still follows the rules of OWWA Region 7, since there’s no OWWA office in the new region yet.
An OWWA officer, Christina Marie Vistal, shared that the request for repatriation (that means helping someone return home) came straight from the families.
Good news: There is a ceasefire right now, which means fighting has stopped for now. But OWWA says it’s still not completely safe. The Alert Level is still at Level 3, which means Filipino workers are not allowed to leave the country to work in places with ongoing conflict like Iran or Israel.
Just recently, on June 24, 2025, the Philippine government brought home 35 OFWs from Israel. Sadly, none of them were from Central Visayas.
But those OFWs who made it back home already got financial assistance from both OWWA and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to help them restart their lives here.
Now, all eyes are on what will happen to the two OFWs in Iran. Their families are hoping and praying they’ll be brought home safe and soon.
