354 OFWs repatriated from Saudi

MANILA, Philippines — Some 354 distressed or stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have been repatriated to the Philippines in time for the holidays, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

The DFA, through its Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, mounted a special repatriation flight that arrived in Manila on Dec. 23.

Many of those repatriated had already given up hope of going home this Christmas as they could not find flights back to the Philippines, the agency said.

“Knowing full well a Filipino’s yearning to be with their loved ones during Christmas, the government exerted its utmost to bring home our kababayan so that they could celebrate this season of cheer with their families,” said Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola.

The repatriated Filipinos will undergo facility-based quarantine provided by the Philippine government, in conformity with the health protocols set by the Bureau of Quarantine of the Department of Health (DOH).

The DFA reiterated its commitment to ensure the welfare and safety of Filipinos abroad in line with the one-country team approach in partnership with the DOH, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Transportation and the Philippine Coast Guard.