45 OFWs, five dependents return home amid ongoing tensions in Middle East

Forty-five overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and five of their dependents safely returned to the Philippines from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, 20 October, amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

They arrived aboard Qatar Airways flight QR928 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City, where they were met by personnel from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) medical team to provide them with the necessary assistance.

The agencies provided airport assistance, medical assistance, and financial aid to returning OFWs and their dependents. The returning OFWs are also expected to receive transportation assistance (domestic land and air) to return to their respective provinces.

DMW Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi also announced that the government has programs for OFWs who choose to permanently return to the Philippines, including employment assistance and other services.

"The Department of Migrant Workers, in cooperation with OWWA and various government agencies, through the NRN (National Reintegration Network), has programs for those returning home and those who plan to stay in the Philippines for good. Don't worry, you will get a job here. There is also government assistance available for you," Legaspi said.

As part of the “Saving Lives” component of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s UPLIFT initiative, the DMW and OWWA are focused on addressing the immediate needs of OFWs and their families affected by the conflict in the Middle East.