Seventy overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia have safely returned to the Philippines through the repatriation efforts of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
In a press release dated November 14, the DMW said the OFWs arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City on November 13 aboard a Qatar Airways flight.
Their repatriation was carried out under the DMW and OWWA's program, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to ensure the safe return of Filipino workers from the Middle East amid rising tensions in the region.
Under the government's Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) program, the returning OFWs received immediate medical and financial assistance, as well as transportation support for their return to their respective provinces.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) also provided medical assistance to the returning workers.
One of the repatriated workers, Cherry Mae Catuburan, who worked as a helper in Riyadh, expressed gratitude to the government for facilitating her safe return.
“Maraming salamat po sa DMW. Nakauwi ako nang ligtas dito sa Pilipinas. Malaking tulong po sa akin na nakauwi po talaga ako,” Catuburan said.
The DMW said the number of OFWs and their dependents assisted in returning home from Saudi Arabia has reached 1,170 amid escalating tensions in the region.
Filipinos who wish to avail themselves of the government's repatriation assistance may contact the nearest Migrant Workers Office (MWO) or Philippine Embassy, or call the 24-hour DMW-OWWA hotline at 1348.
