A TOTAL of 199 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have returned to the Philippines through government assistance, including 50 who arrived on Wednesday night, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said.
In a statement on Wednesday, OWWA said the latest batch arrived on a Qatar Airways flight which landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.
The group included eight OFWs from Bahay Kalinga, six stranded workers temporarily accommodated in a hotel, and 36 workers under the care of their foreign recruitment agencies.
Many of those repatriated were distressed or stranded OFWs who already had exit visas but were unable to return home because of flight cancellations and delays, according to OWWA.
Of the 199 repatriated workers, 149 were assisted through OWWA's Emergency Repatriation Fund, while 50 were assisted through the Department of Migrant Workers' (DMW) Aksyon Fund.
OWWA said it continues to assist returning workers through transportation arrangements, temporary accommodation, financial assistance and domestic flight assistance, depending on their needs and the applicable programs.
It said 49 more OFWs were returning on Oct. 23, 110 on Oct. 25 and 40 on Oct. 26.
OWWA and DMW are coordinating the return trips with the Philippine embassy in Riyadh and Migrant Workers Offices in Saudi Arabia, according to the agency.
The repatriations are being carried out under the government’s Uplift Assistance Program.
