The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that are caught in the hostilities in Syria can get in touch with the Philippine Embassy or call the hotline numbers to seek assistance and to inform if they want to be repatriated

Filipinos in Syria can call hotline numbers of the Philippine Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration (OWWA). These are the hotline numbers:

Philippine Embassy in Damascus, Syria: 00-963-116-132626

DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA): 834-3245 and 834-3240.

OWWA 24/7 Assistance Center: 8336992, 5511560, and 09178986992

Affected OFWs and their families can also voiced out their concerns by ending an email to the Embassy at: pe.damascus@gmail.com or to OWWA at syria@owwa.gov.ph

An estimate of 17,000 Filipinos are currently working and living in Syria, but only 2,287 are documented as of July 2011.  The Philippine government is encouraging them to seek repatriation.