PLDT and Smart Offer Free Calls for OFWs in the Middle East
Hotlines are also open 24/7 to assist those with loved ones in the area.
Published on Mar 3, 2026
(SPOT.ph) "Worrying about our OFWs. I've asked PLDT and Smart to offer free calls for Filipinos in countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East," reads an X post by local telecommunications magnate Manny V. Pangilinan.
Rising tensions in the region and the growing number of social media posts depicting air strikes from the United States and U.S.-backed Israel have necessitated these measures, on the table until March 7, 2026.
Also read: Should the Philippines Be Worried About Conflict in the Middle East?
How to access PLDT, Smart free calls in the Middle East
"The marching order is to make it as easy as possible for our countrymen to reach their loved ones, and vice versa," Pangilinan elaborates.
Filipinos in Iran, Iraq, Occupied Palestinian Territory/Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia may access free calls via the TinBo app with a Smart Virtual Number. Meanwhile, those in the Philippines with PLDT, Smart, and TNT sims may reach their loved ones without charge.
The Smart crisis hotline (+632 8845 7799) and the Department of Migrant Workers - Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (DMW-OWWA) 1348 hotline are available 24/7.
This is a developing story.
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