Forty-nine overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia have safely returned to the Philippines through the voluntary repatriation program.

Through the assistance of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the OFWs were able to avail themselves of the program amid tensions in the Middle East. In a social media post on Friday, October 23, the DMW said the OFWs arrived aboard a Gulf Air flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

They were welcomed by officials from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). The repatriation effort was carried out through the collaboration of the DMW, OWWA, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and the Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh.

According to the DMW, the initiative is part of the government’s UPLIFT program, which aims to provide immediate assistance to OFWs affected by tensions in the Middle East.

“Mula sa ating Pangulo na kailangan proteksiyonan ang mga OFWs, pang anim na kayong batch na tinulungan makauwi. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Diyos at safe kayo na nakarating sa Pilipinas. Nagbibigay ang OWWA ng financial assistance at in partnership with TESDA magbibigay tayo ng libreng training at kung active OWWA members kayo magbibigay ng “Balik Pinas, Balik Hanapbuhay,” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said.

The DMW and OWWA also prepared immediate financial assistance, psychological counseling, and transportation assistance to help the returning OFWs reach their respective provinces. Reintegration and livelihood assistance programs are also available, including those seeking to start their own business or employment in the country.