By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government is accelerating efforts to bring home stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with 99 already repatriated and 249 more undergoing processing for their return.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), working with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), has been coordinating flights and providing assistance to Filipinos affected by travel disruptions following missile attacks attributed to Yemeni Houthi rebels.
On Tuesday, 65 workers arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in two groups. Fifty flew in aboard Qatar Airways in the morning, while another 15 arrived on a Gulf Air flight that afternoon.
The returning Filipinos are entitled to transportation, temporary accommodation and assistance with domestic flights to their home provinces.
The DMW brought home an initial group of 34 workers on Oct. 19. Another 50 were scheduled to land Tuesday night aboard a Qatar Airways flight, adding to the government’s ongoing repatriation operation.
The emergency response follows an Oct. 10 missile attack on King Khalid International Airport that reportedly killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, including four Filipinos.
With hundreds more awaiting clearance and travel arrangements, authorities continue working to facilitate the safe return of affected Filipino workers.
The continuing operation underscores the need for sustained government assistance as overseas employment disruptions expose Filipino workers to sudden travel and security risks.
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