MANILA — The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), together with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), on Thursday welcomed 317 Filipinos who safely returned from the Middle East aboard the government’s third chartered flight amid ongoing regional tensions.

The plane landed at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, carrying 153 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) along with 114 dependents, as well as 50 stranded Filipino passengers who chose to return home.

In a statement, the DMW said the repatriation is part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos in the region.

As of March 5, the agency reported that over 1,700 OFWs and their dependents have already returned to the Philippines through the whole-of-government repatriation effort.