A total 442 Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates arrived Saturday (March 14) afternoon on board a flight chartered by government.

This was gathered as the Department of Migrant Workers disclosed that at least 341 more will land in the country as war continued to raged in the Middle East where they were stationed.

The charter flight landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at past 12 midnight. On board were 442 passengers, more than 200 of them overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said another flight, this time with 341 OFWs aboard is scheduled to arrive in the Philippines on Sunday (March 15).

The OFWs will be coming from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.

President Marcos approved the plan to charter flights for repatriation of Filipinos from the war-torn Middle East.

Vice President Sara Duterte had previously batted for this idea but Malacañang scoffed at it, pointing out that this could jeopardize the lives of OFWs.

Hundreds of OFWs and other Filipinos living in various Middle East countries have sought immediate repatriation as hostilities between Israel and US military against Iran and its proxies continued to rage with both sides launching missile and drone attacks against each other.

US allies in the region were also targets of Iran making the Middle East unsafe for hundreds of thousands of Filipinos working and permanently living there.