SOME 170 Filipinos returned to the country from Kuwait, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Saturday.
The Filipinos arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City at 7 a.m. on Saturday, through Kuwait Airways Flight KU 417.
Representatives from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), OWWA, and other agencies assisted the returning Filipinos.
“Appropriate coordination was also carried out for their return to their respective provinces through domestic flights and land transportation assistance, ensuring their safe journey back to their families,” OWWA said in Filipino.
“As OWWA marks another year as an agency dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of OFWs, it continues to provide unwavering service to our fellow Filipinos — proof that even amid the celebration, promptly addressing their needs remains a priority,” they added.
In a related development, the DMW late on Friday said 18 Filipino seafarers arrived home on separate commercial flights on Thursday and Friday.
The seafarers were on board the Liberian ship MV MSC Ishyka.
“The seafarers exercised their right to refuse sailing when the ship set sail to India, which required passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This is in accordance with DMW Advisory No. 09 issued on March 1, 2026, reiterating imposition of the seafarer’s right to refuse sailing in high-risk areas in the Gulf region,” the DMW said in a statement.
All crew members met with DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi and Al Khobar Migrant Workers Office Labor Attache Solaiman Mutia in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, who assured them of government support and assistance.
The crew’s repatriation was also facilitated by their agency.
The ongoing war in the Middle East has prompted many Filipinos working in the region to return home.
