Seventy-four more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) returned to the Philippines from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night, November 10, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the group arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR928 as part of the government's continuing repatriation efforts led by the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Upon arrival, the returning workers received immediate assistance, including food, transportation for land and air travel, temporary accommodation for those in need, and financial support.
The repatriation was carried out under the government's UPLIFT initiative, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to provide assistance to overseas Filipino workers and their families. The Manila International Airport Authority's medical team also helped attend to the arriving OFWs.
Among those repatriated was Ferlita Penera, who sought assistance from the Migrant Workers Office in Riyadh and the Philippine Embassy to facilitate her safe return to the country.
Penera expressed gratitude to the DMW and OWWA for facilitating her repatriation, saying she was able to return home without spending anything on her travel, including airfare and meals.
Government figures showed that the latest batch brought the total number of Filipinos assisted in returning home to 1,014 since the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
