52 OFWs from Riyadh safely repatriated

Fifty-two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, have been safely repatriated to the Philippines aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR928, which landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

To ease the burden of their travel, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) provided food, land and air transportation, temporary accommodation for some, and financial assistance for their immediate needs.

The OWWA, together with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Philippine Embassy, and Migrant Workers Offices in Saudi Arabia, continue to collaborate to ensure the safe repatriation and provision of assistance to OFWs affected by the situation there.

This response is in accordance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to safeguard the safety and well-being of Filipinos anywhere in the world, under the Saving Lives pillar of the UPLIFT Assistance Program.

Meanwhile, the DMW and OWWA have delivered 7,129 assistance services to 5,291 OFWs in Saudi Arabia as of 4 November, amid continuing regional security tensions.

Based on the latest KSA Assistance Monitoring Report, these include 5,233 financial assistance services, 670 food assistance services, 273 shelter assistance services, 247 land transportation assistance services, and 12 medical assistance services.

Repatriation assistance was also provided to 694 individuals, comprising 681 OFWs and 13 dependents, through 16 flights. These repatriation services form part of the overall assistance total.

Compared with the 2 November report, the number of OFWs assisted increased by 34, while the total assistance services rose by 256.