Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to oversee the safe and orderly repatriation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Upon her arrival, Caunan personally received distressed and stranded Filipinos who had traveled from Kuwait and Bahrain, with assistance from teams of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), OWWA, and Philippine embassies.
According to the latest reports, 80 OFWs from Bahrain and 99 from Kuwait have arrived safely in Riyadh ahead of their scheduled return to the Philippines.
The DMW–OWWA team is also facilitating the transfer of OFWs from Qatar to Riyadh, with arrivals expected on Saturday, 21 March, as part of continuing repatriation efforts.
Their consolidation in Riyadh forms part of preparations for the government’s fourth chartered flight amid the regional crisis. The flight — the second organized by OWWA — is scheduled to depart on Monday, 23 March, and will carry Filipinos from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
This marks the first time OFWs from four countries will be repatriated together on a single government-chartered flight.
Authorities said coordination efforts remain ongoing, including processing of travel documents and visas, as well as arrangements for transportation and accommodation, to ensure a smooth and secure return of affected Filipinos.
Meanwhile, the DMW reported that another batch of OFWs and Filipino tourists evacuated from Israel is expected to arrive in the Philippines before the end of the week.
The fourth batch — comprising 26 Filipinos, including 22 OFWs, one child, and three tourists — safely crossed into Israel via the Taba border on Thursday.