By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The Philippine government has brought home the first 34 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by flight cancellations and delays in Riyadh, while arranging confirmed bookings for 265 others to return to the country from Oct. 19 to 25.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said the first batch arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Monday aboard Qatar Airways flight QR934 from Doha after traveling from Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia,
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and OWWA are assisting nearly 400 affected workers.
“Sa panahon ng pangangailangan, mahalagang mabilis at maingat tayong kumilos. Nauunawaan natin ang pangamba ng ating mga OFW at ng mga pamilyang naghihintay sa kanilang pag-uwi (In times of need, it is important that we act quickly and carefully. We understand the concerns of our OFWs and the families waiting for their return),” OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan said in a news release.
“Kailangan nila ng malinaw na impormasyon, agarang tulong, at katiyakang may makikinig at aalalay sa kanila (They need clear information, immediate assistance and assurance that someone will listen and support them),” she added.
The DMW said confirmed flight bookings have been secured for 299 OFWs, including the 34, while travel arrangements are being made for more than 100 others from Hail, Al Qassim and Dammam through alternative routes.
Upon arrival, OWWA provided the 34 returning OFWs with airport assistance, transportation, temporary accommodation and help with domestic flights for those continuing to their home provinces.
Before their departure, the OWWA team in Riyadh also arranged their transportation, meals, temporary shelter and preflight orientation.
OWWA said that another 65 OFWs, consisting of 50 workers from Al Qassim and 15 women under the care of Bahay Kalinga who will travel from Dammam, are expected to arrive on Tuesday.
While awaiting their flights, affected workers received food, temporary accommodation, transportation, financial assistance and medical and psychological services.
The assistance is funded through the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and OWWA’s Emergency Repatriation Fund (ERF) under the Saving Lives pillar of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance Program.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac is also scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to meet the affected workers and assess their situation, as part of the government’s response to the flight disruptions.
Tensions in Saudi Arabia have escalated following missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, including strikes targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that prompted flight suspensions and widespread travel disruptions.
The attacks are part of the wider regional conflict involving Iran and its adversaries, raising security concerns and forcing airlines to cancel or reroute flights to Saudi Arabia.
President Marcos has directed the DMW and OWWA to prioritize the safety and immediate needs of Filipinos affected by the travel disruptions. (PNA)
