Headline
ASEAN monitoring Middle East dev’t, effects on SE Asian workers
By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS. Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, in a press briefing at the sidelines of the 2026 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community meetings in Makati City on Tuesday (March 3, 2026) said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, which is host to more than a million ASEAN workers. She said the Philippines stands ready to assist not only the Filipinos but also Southeast Asians “as may be necessary.” (Photo: PNA/Facebook)
MANILA – The Philippine government, as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the bloc is closely monitoring developments in the Middle East, including its impact on Southeast Asians working in the region.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao, in a press briefing on the sidelines of the 2026 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) meetings in Makati on Tuesday, said the Philippines stands ready to assist not only Filipino but also Southeast Asians “as may be necessary.”
“The ASCC, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is also ensuring that needed assistance would be extended not only to Filipinos but also to the nationals of our ASEAN family,” she said.
“I believe that discussion on this will continue as we hold the council meeting and the bilateral meetings that the ASCC will also be hosting,” she added.
Several countries in the Middle East, which is host to more than 1 million Filipinos and Southeast Asian workers, are caught in Iran’s retaliation following the joint military operations launched by the United States and Israel against Tehran on Saturday.
Israel earlier said it cannot offer any timeline as to when the strikes would last, but said the operation would continue until it achieved three key goals — stopping Iran’s nuclear weapons development, ending Iran’s long-range ballistic missile production and financing of “terror proxies” in the Middle East.
