Photo courtesy of DMW/Facebook
Hundreds of Filipinos returned home on Sunday as the government continued repatriation efforts in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Authorities said 343 Filipinos landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at around 7 a.m. on board a chartered flight arranged by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
OWWA administrator PY Caunan said the passengers came from Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian cities of Al Khobar and Riyadh.
Many of the returnees were categorized as distressed Filipinos who had earlier sought government assistance while waiting to be brought back to the Philippines.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac said returning overseas workers will be provided with reintegration assistance, including job opportunities, livelihood support, and skills training programs through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
He also noted that medical services will be made available to them through the Department of Health (DOH).
Caunan added that Filipinos who were previously in Kuwait have already crossed to Riyadh and are expected to be repatriated in the coming days.
Earlier arrivals included 26 overseas workers and nine family members who flew in from Qatar, while the Department of Migrant Workers reported that 1,022 overseas workers and 293 dependents had been repatriated between March 5 and 14 after tensions escalated following coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28.
