12/03/2026
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12/03/2026
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MANILA, Mar 12: Singapore has offered to include Filipino nationals on military aircraft being deployed to evacuate its citizens from the Middle East as tensions escalate following United States and Israel airstrikes on Iran.
According to GMA News Online, Singapore’s ambassador to Manila, Constance See, said the offer had been formally communicated to the Department of Foreign Affairs under an ASEAN mutual assistance framework, which encourages member states to support each other’s nationals during emergencies, particularly where diplomatic representation may be limited.
A Republic of Singapore Air Force Airbus A330 MRTT is scheduled to depart for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, while another aircraft was already dispatched earlier this week to Riyadh to bring Singaporeans home. The number of seats that could be offered to Filipinos will be determined after Manila responds to the proposal.
The evacuation plans come as regional tensions intensify after Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf states hosting U.S. military installations. The Philippines has more than 2.4 million nationals living and working across the Middle East, including over 30,000 in Israel, raising concerns over their safety.
Singapore has previously conducted similar cooperative evacuations, including flights from Oman that also carried nationals from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea. The Philippines likewise assisted foreign nationals during evacuation operations from Libya in 2014.
