Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
23 April 2026 | 12:15 CAT
4-minute read

Filipino migrant workers cannot return to Middle East

Over 40 000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are currently stranded or unable to return to the Middle East due to airspace restrictions, safety concerns, and stricter documentation checks by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW). The government is prioritising safety due to regional conflict, with repatriation efforts ongoing while evaluating new hires more strictly.

During this week’s Asia Pacific Report on Radio Islam International, human rights advocate Walden Bello said that over 1,1 million, or approximately 52% of all land-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), are based in the Middle East. The region is a primary destination, with high concentrations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

“Like many of their Southeast Asian workers, many of them are stranded in the Philippines and cannot return to the Middle East because of the war over there. So this is creating a problem for migrant workers,” Bello, who is also a peace campaigner, environmentalist, academic and journalist, reported from the Philippines.

Dynastic warfare between Dutertes and Marcoses in Philippines

The “dynastic warfare” between the Duterte and Marcos families is profoundly shaping the political climate in the Philippines, transitioning from a strategic 2022 alliance (the “UniTeam”) to an open, volatile power struggle.

The fallout between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte has shifted the focus toward intense personal rivalries, polarisation, and potential instability ahead of the 2028 presidential race.

Sara Duterte has faced impeachment complaints in Congress, which she has described as a “toxic” environment. She has been accused of betraying public trust, misusing government funds, and alleged threats against the First Family. Hearings are probing unexplained wealth (alleged P6,7 billion in bank transactions) with a plenary vote expected in early May 2026.

“Impeachment proceedings are taking place in the Philippine Congress at this point. This is Sara Duterte, the vice president has been the subject of this. And this has created controversy in the country because the Marcos administration is also in the midst of a big scandal over the use of public funds directed at disaster relief, which have been distributed by the administration to its allies,” Bello said .

Japan on high alert after Monday’s 7,5 magnitude earthquake

The quake struck off the north-eastern coast of Honshu, about 530 kilometres north of Tokyo, on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 16:52 local time.

While the initial impact did not cause widespread major casualties or catastrophic damage, it triggered tsunami warnings, prompted mass evacuations, and has raised concerns about a potential larger earthquake. 

“That is a region where in 2011, you had a massive earthquake in Fukushima that destroyed the nuclear reactor, killed 22 000 people. And there’s still a lot of radioactive soil in the area,” Bello said.

North Korea sends missile message to Trump

Meanwhile, tensions on the Korean Peninsula are currently high, characterised by North Korea’s frequent missile tests, including a late April launch. On April 19, North Korea fired 5 ballistic missiles, marking the second time in one month.

The launch, supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, was a “warhead performance evaluation” of the upgraded Hwasongpho-11 Ra system, which hit a target area roughly 136 kilometres away.

North Korea’s move is widely interpreted by experts as a calculated message to Trump’s administration, intended to assert presence, test American resolve, and signal power ahead of potential policy shifts. These launches, part of a pattern of “saber-rattling,” serve as a reminder of North Korea’s leverage on the peninsula.

Pyongyang is actively expanding nuclear facilities (Yongbyon, Kusong) for increased uranium production.

“Kim Jong Un, the Prime Minister, is doing this to remind Donald Trump, who is about to visit China in about a month’s time, that he really wants an agreement with the United States on the nuclear question,” Bello said, adding that it appears that Kim Jong Un would like to reopen discussions with Trump about North Korea’s nuclear capability.

“In North Korea, the statement of the North Korean government has been that the nuclear armament of North Korea is something that is not negotiable. And it is irreversible at this point in time.”

Listen to the Asia Pacific Report with Walden Bello on Sabaahul Muslim, hosted by Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.