MANDAUE CITY, CEBU— Mandaue City has expressed readiness to extend assistance to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the city who may be displaced by the escalating conflict in the Middle East and are seeking to return home.
During its regular session on Monday, March 2, the City Council approved a resolution authored by Councilor Carlo Fortuna, calling on the city government to prepare support services for affected Mandauehanon OFWs who opt for repatriation.
Fortuna said the proposed assistance includes transportation support, with the city prepared to deploy buses to ferry returning OFWs from the airport to their respective homes.
He added that the local government is also considering employment-related interventions, such as skills training and livelihood opportunities, to help returning workers reintegrate into the local workforce.
These programs will be coordinated through the Public Employment Services Office (PESO), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and partner institutions, including the Mandaue City College Technological Entrepreneurial Skills Training Center.
Fortuna said the measure was informed by lessons from the Gulf War in the early 1990s, when local government units were tapped to assist national agencies in responding to the mass repatriation of Filipino workers affected by the conflict. He noted that he was already serving as a city councilor during that period.
According to Fortuna, preparedness should not rest solely on the national government, stressing the role of local governments in providing immediate and accessible support. “Mao ‘na among gihimo karon—mag-andam lang gyud ta,” he said.
Mayor Thadeo Jovito Jonkie Ouano echoed the city’s commitment, saying Mandaue is prepared to receive returning OFWs and implement the proposed assistance measures. These may include food packs and temporary shelter for those who may need immediate support upon arrival.
Ouano said the city government is also open to discussing possible financial aid for affected workers, recognizing the sacrifices they have made for their families. “Kung mahimo, atong hisgutan sa konseho kung naa ba ta’y mahatag nga pinansyal nga tabang. Dili gyud nato sila pasagdan,” he said.
The national government has begun preparations for the repatriation of Filipino workers amid rising hostilities in the Middle East.
On Sunday, March 1, authorities confirmed the death of a Filipino caregiver in Israel.
The recent flare-up followed coordinated attacks launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, which prompted retaliatory strikes by Iran targeting areas in Israel and several Gulf states hosting U.S. military assets. Civilian casualties have been reported as tensions continue to escalate.
Prices of goods hike impacts vendors, buyers
Vendors and consumers are feeling the impact of the increase in rice prices as rising costs continue to affect local market and household budgets.
At the Mandaue City Public Market, rice vendor Felipa Gungob said that the wholesale price of rice has steadily surged since the last week of February, even prior to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Reliant on the prices set by their suppliers, the vendors are compelled to adjust their selling prices accordingly once notified of any increase.
“I-inform man ‘mi daan sa supplier nga mag increase ‘ta karon ha. O, di kami sad, mag-increase sad ‘mi. Wala jud ‘mi choice,” Gungob said.
The increase in the price of rice per 25-kilogram sack has soared by around P100 to P300 from its previous cost, depending on the variety of rice.
For instance, Gungob said that pink rice, previously priced at around P1100 per sack or P55 per kilo, now sells for approximately P1500.
Aside from the inflated capital for each sack of rice, vendors also cover additional expenses such as plastic bags and labor costs for repackaging, lowering their profit margin.
“Wala na ‘mi amoa. Kung buot huna-hunaon, mag-inventory ‘mi kada adlaw, ma-short jud gani ‘mi,” Gungob said.
Meanwhile, consumers also face a similar problem as price hikes affect their budgets at home.
Rhea Batiquin, a buyer at the public market, expressed her frustrations, saying that financial budgets become tighter, especially for those without stable sources of income.
“Wala na gani ‘mi budget. Wala ‘mi mga trabaho, mahal pa ang bugas, unsa man ato’ng kan-on ani?” said Batiquin.
Batiquin stated that her budget allows her to purchase only five kilos of rice at a time, which forces her to prioritize feeding the young children in her family first. “Siguroon na lang ang mga bata para maka-save. Kita, kaon na lang tag pan,” she said.
She added that she opts to buy rice at the public market instead of nearby sari-sari stores, where prices tend to be higher.
Gungob and Baqituin hope that prices will stabilize, despite the potential for price hikes in commodities due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which is impacting global markets.
| Written by Lynda Katherine Mecaros UP-Cebu intern
