Sixty-five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including stranded and distressed workers affected by flight disruptions in Saudi Arabia, safely returned to the Philippines on October 20, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported.
The workers arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 aboard Qatar Airways and Gulf Air flights from Al-Qassim and Dammam, bringing the total number of OFWs repatriated by the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to 99 from October 19 to 20.
OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan assured returning workers of the government’s continued assistance amid the crisis.
The DMW also said 50 more OFWs were expected to arrive on the evening of October 20, while another 249 workers had confirmed flight bookings for their return between October 21 and 26.
Meanwhile, the government is prepared to provide livelihood and reintegration assistance to returning OFWs under the Saving Lives pillar of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance Program, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive.
Labor Attaché Genevieve Aguilar-Ardiente encouraged returning workers to seek assistance from DMW regional offices or its central office to learn about available services, including livelihood programs.
