MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered telecommunications companies to provide free communication services to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families as tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East.
Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a social media post on Monday reported that Marcos said telecommunications firms responded by activating a “libreng tawag” (free call) programme to help Filipinos stay connected with their loved ones amid the crisis.
The programme will cover Filipinos in Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, where thousands of OFWs are based.
Marcos said the government would set up free call stations in selected business centers across the country so families in the Philippines can contact relatives working in the affected region.
“Through these efforts, we want to ensure that our kababayans will remain connected with their families, offer comfort to one another, and confirm their safety without additional financial burden,” the President said.
The move comes as the Philippine government continues to monitor the situation in the Middle East, where expanding military operations and restricted airspace have complicated evacuation and repatriation efforts.
Marcos earlier advised Filipinos in the region to take shelter and remain vigilant while authorities assess conditions and coordinate with host governments.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers have been assisting overseas Filipinos in affected countries and preparing contingency measures, including possible repatriation, as tensions persist. – BERNAMA-PNA
