A TOTAL of 248 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have returned to the Philippines from Saudi Arabia after another 49 workers arrived safely from Dammam on Friday, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said.
The latest group arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 11:30 a.m. aboard Gulf Air flight GF 154. The workers came from Riyadh and traveled to Dammam to continue their journey home after flight cancellations and delays.
The returnees were part of the repatriations being conducted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and OWWA for affected Filipino workers in war-threatened Saudi Arabia.
An attack on Dammam Airport was reported on the night of Oct. 21 as the workers were traveling to the airport. According to Saudi authorities, no Filipino was killed or injured in the incident. Flights resumed after authorities confirmed that airport operations could safely continue.
OWWA welfare officers and staff in Riyadh and Al Khobar assisted the workers on their journey to Dammam and monitored their situation until all 49 were confirmed aboard their flight to the Philippines.
“We understand the concern of our OFWs and their families waiting for them in the Philippines. That is why our Welfare Officers were there to accompany them, attend to their needs, and assist them on their journey home. For those still waiting to return, we continue to arrange your travel. That is Alagang OWWA,” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan said.
At NAIA, OWWA’s Repatriation and Assistance Division provided arrival aid and other support depending on the needs of returning workers.
Another 326 workers are scheduled to return on confirmed flights from Oct. 24 to 31. Travel arrangements are also being made for 72 more OFWs targeted for repatriation on Nov. 2.
Meanwhile, the DMW and OWWA continue to monitor seven Filipinos injured in earlier incidents in Riyadh. Based on the latest report, none is in critical condition. Four have been discharged from the hospital, two are in regular wards, and one remains in the intensive care unit but is scheduled to be transferred to a regular ward.
In a separate incident, OWWA, together with the DMW and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, is coordinating with Saudi authorities over the reported death of a Filipino at the Aramco Shaybah oil field on Oct. 21.
