The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has recalled an unnamed staff member posted in Bahrain after a video showing the employee allegedly berating overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) seeking government assistance went viral, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed.
In the widely circulated footage, the government worker is heard telling distressed Filipinos, “walang pondo mula sa Maynila” and dismissing their requests for help, prompting public backlash and calls for accountability. Cacdac said he issued the recall order to underscore the department’s commitment to serving OFWs with “humility, respect, and hard work,” though he did not specify whether the staffer had been dismissed.
The exchange occurred against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East following the U.S.–Israel strikes on Iran on February 28, which have heightened security concerns in the region and disrupted financial assistance operations abroad. The Philippine Embassy in Manama earlier announced a temporary suspension of aid distribution due to local security advisories.
The recall comes as the DMW ramps up support for OFWs affected by the crisis. A total of 399 OFWs and 12 dependents have returned to the Philippines since the conflict intensified, with 90 workers arriving on an Emirates flight from the United Arab Emirates on March 8. Cacdac and officials from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration welcomed the repatriates, and the DMW said it is providing both pre- and post-repatriation assistance.
Government agencies, including the Philippine National Police (PNP), are also coordinating repatriation and screening efforts to ensure the safety of returning Filipinos and identify possible cases of trafficking or illegal recruitment.
Cacdac reiterated that while there is no mass repatriation order yet, voluntary return and aid programs continue as the situation evolves.
The DMW has also urged seafarers to exercise their “right to refuse sailing” through war‑risk areas such as the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz, which have been designated as high‑risk zones.
