A total of 341 distressed and stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, and Bahrain are expected to return to the Philippines via a chartered flight arranged by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

The chartered flight is scheduled to depart from Riyadh for Manila on Saturday, March 14, to safely bring home OFWs who requested government assistance to return to the country and reunite with their families.

OFWs from Bahrain are being assisted by teams from OWWA, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and the Philippine Embassies in Riyadh and Manama to cross land borders and proceed to Riyadh, where they will board the chartered flight back to the Philippines.

Meanwhile, several OFWs from Kuwait are currently being assisted by government teams in processing travel clearances and land border crossings so they can reach the staging area in Riyadh for the scheduled repatriation flight.

The government has also provided various forms of welfare assistance while repatriation arrangements are being completed, including help with travel documentation, temporary accommodation, transportation support, and other immediate needs.

The primary objective of this repatriation operation is to ensure the safety of OFWs and bring them home safely to their families in the Philippines.

The operation is funded through the Emergency Repatriation Fund administered by OWWA to ensure the safe and orderly return of Filipinos affected by the current situation in the Middle East.

Additional charter flights are also being arranged by OWWA to continue repatriation operations and assist other distressed OFWs or those wishing to return to the Philippines from affected areas in the region.

The special charter flight is expected to arrive in the Philippines on Sunday, March 15, at NAIA, carrying repatriated OFWs together with OWWA personnel and a medical team ready to provide immediate assistance upon arrival.