Regional Conflict Update: Iranian Strikes Target Gulf Infrastructure and Civilian Centers
DUBAI — As of April 6, 2026, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are facing the most significant threat to their physical and economic security in decades. Following a series of escalations that began in late February, the Iranian regime has launched sustained missile and drone campaigns targeting critical resource infrastructure and civilian landmarks across the Arabian Peninsula. Reports from...
Pag-IBIG Fund Approves Special Benefits Package for OFWs Affected by Middle East Crisis
MANILA — The Philippines' Home Development Mutual Fund, known as Pag-IBIG Fund, has approved a special benefits package for overseas Filipino workers affected by the ongoing Middle East crisis, allowing qualifying members to withdraw their savings early and receive temporary relief on housing loan payments. The package, announced Sunday, aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive for a whole-of-government...
Iran Assures Philippines of Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz for Filipino Seafarers, Vessels
MANILA, Philippines — Iran has given the Philippine government assurances that Filipino seafarers and Philippine-flagged vessels will be permitted safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed. The assurance, which covers the protection of Filipino crew members aboard vessels transiting the strategic waterway, came following a direct phone...
Philippines Repatriates More Than 3,300 Citizens From Middle East Amid Regional Tensions
MANILA, Philippines — More than 3,300 Filipinos have been repatriated from the Middle East and over 18,000 others have received assistance as regional tensions continue to displace workers and their families, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Tuesday. In a national address, Marcos said 2,551 overseas Filipino workers and 835 of their dependents returned home between March 5 and March...
Situationer: Over 1 Million OFWs Caught in the Crossfire of the US-Israel vs. Iran Conflict
The Middle East has long been the "Land of Promise" for millions of Filipinos, but as of March 2026, the promise is being tested by the shadows of a widening regional conflict. With tensions between the Iranian regime and the US-Israel alliance escalating into direct strikes, our modern-day heroes find themselves on the front lines of a geopolitical chess...
HK police, Immigration Department dismantle suspected prostitution network in TST building
Hong Kong police and immigration officers dismantled over 100 suspected vice units in a sweeping raid in Tsim Sha Tsui on Thursday, arresting 128 people—including a 15‑year‑old and transgender individuals—during a coordinated operation targeting prostitution in an older residential building. Officers from the Yau Tsim District Special Duty Squad, backed by nearly 100 personnel and the Immigration Department, launched Operation...
DMW rolls out “Buy Lokal, By OFW” e-commerce to connect overseas Filipino workers to world markets
MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers has launched a global e‑commerce platform offering overseas Filipino workers a digital marketplace to sell their products worldwide, part of a broader push to expand livelihood opportunities beyond overseas employment. The DMW unveiled “Buy Lokal, By OFW” (BLBO) on Tuesday in Taguig City during an event marking the initiative’s rollout. The platform, powered...
Manila, Seoul vow to improve safeguards for OFWs as 77‑year diplomatic ties marked
MANILA – The Philippines and South Korea on Tuesday pledged to strengthen protections for overseas Filipino workers while deepening labor and bilateral cooperation, as the two countries marked 77 years of diplomatic ties during the Philippine–Republic of Korea Friendship Week in Mandaluyong City. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, in a video message read at the event hosted by the...
Art Central Returns to Central Harbourfront With 117 Galleries and a Global Creative Pulse
Art Central 2026 has officially opened its doors at the iconic Central Harbourfront in Hong Kong, running from March 25 to 29. Marking its eleventh edition, the premier satellite fair features a record-breaking 117 galleries and over 500 artists from across Asia and the globe. A Decade of Discovery Operating under the theme "Discover Art, Make it yours," this year's edition...
OWWA to fly OFWs from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar on single government flight
MANILA — As tensions in the area continue to rise, the Philippine government is getting ready to return another group of Filipino workers abroad from four Middle Eastern nations on a single chartered flight on Sunday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said on Saturday. On March 23, the government-chartered plane is scheduled to take off from Riyadh with OFWs from...
