By Ron San Pedro
MANILA – The Philippine government on Monday welcomed home 343 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) evacuated from the Middle East as part of its continuing repatriation program amid escalating tensions in the region.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. received the returning workers at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City after they arrived on the fourth chartered flight arranged by the government from Saudi Arabia.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the group consisted of Filipinos from several countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Due to airspace restrictions in some areas, many of the workers had to travel by land before reaching Saudi Arabia.
According to Cacdac, around 234 of the passengers came from Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain and traveled for about seven to eight hours to reach Riyadh, where they boarded a Philippine Airlines charter flight to Manila.
He said the land crossings were necessary to allow the workers to reach Saudi Arabia safely and catch the chartered flight home.
The repatriation flight also carried around 10 to 15 dependents, including children.
Government preparing more evacuations
Cacdac said additional repatriation flights are already being prepared.
Two more chartered flights—the fifth and sixth—are expected to depart from the United Arab Emirates, which has a large Filipino workforce.
He also confirmed that government funds for the repatriation and reintegration programs remain sufficient.
Upon arrival, returning OFWs are provided assistance such as temporary shelter, transportation, and financial aid, as well as support for travel back to their home provinces.
The ongoing repatriation initiative is part of the government’s efforts to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos affected by the conflict in the Middle East. ia/
