MANILA: (Bernama-PNA) The first batch of 34 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is expected to arrive in the Philippines on Monday (Oct 19) as the government arranges the repatriation of hundreds of workers amid regional security concerns and flight disruptions, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Saudi Arabia has faced drone and missile attacks attributed to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, including an incident at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed over a dozen and injured hundreds.
The 34 workers are among 249 OFWs with confirmed flight bookings secured by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
OWWA said the other 215 workers with confirmed bookings are scheduled to return between Oct 19 and 25, while arrangements for another 100 workers are ongoing, bringing the total covered by current repatriation efforts to 349.
OWWA said the first batch left Riyadh on Saturday evening for Al Qassim Airport. They will fly to Doha, Qatar, aboard Qatar Airways flight QR 1197, then take the QR 934 to Manila, arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City at 8.15am Monday.
"In times like these, OWWA cannot afford to act slowly. We must reach, protect and assist them immediately,” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said in a statement.
OWWA Riyadh, in coordination with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) Riyadh and the Philippine Embassy, arranged the repatriation and provided the workers with temporary accommodation, food, transportation and tickets home.
Upon arrival, OWWA’s Repatriation and Assistance Division will provide airport assistance, transportation, temporary accommodation when needed, and domestic flights for workers returning to their home provinces.
OWWA and the DMW are also arranging alternative flights through Al Qassim and Dammam for workers affected by cancellations and delays.
"What matters is ensuring the safety of our fellow Filipinos and helping them return to their loved ones. OWWA’s care does not end at the airport,” Caunan said.
OWWA said it continues to coordinate with the DMW, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, MWO Riyadh and airlines for succeeding repatriation flights. - Bernama-PNA
