MANILA, Philippines – Nakatakdang pauwiin na rin sa Pilipinas ang kabuuang 341 distressed at stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFW) na apektado ng tensyon sa Middle East, ayon sa Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) nitong Sabado, Marso 14.
Ang mga pauwing OFW ay mula sa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, at Bahrain.
Sinabi ng OWWA na ang chartered flight ay nakatakdang umalis ng Riyadh patungong Manila ngayong araw, Marso 14, 2026.
Ayon pa sa ahensya, ang mga OFW mula Bahrain ay inaasistihan ng mga team mula sa OWWA, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), at Philippine Embassies sa Riyadh at Manama “to cross land borders and proceed to Riyadh, where they will board the chartered flight back to the Philippines.”
Kasalukuyan ding inaasistihan ng pamahalaan ang mga OFW sa Kuwait sa pagproseso ng travel clearance at land border crossing upang marating ang staging area sa Riyadh para sa scheduled repatriation flight.
Nagbigay na rin ng iba’t ibang tulong ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan habang kinukumpleto ang repatriation arrangements kabilang ang tulong sa travel documentation, temporary accommodation, transportation support, at iba pang pangangailangan.
“The primary objective of this repatriation operation is to ensure the safety of our 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,” dagdag pa.
Ang special charter flight ay inaasahang darating sa Pilipinas bukas, Marso 15 sa NAIA.
“Under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., OWWA arranged this charter flight to assist Filipinos who wish to return from KSA, Kuwait, and Bahrain due to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East,” ayon sa OWWA.
“The repatriation effort is being carried out in coordination with the DMW, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Embassies in Riyadh, Manama, and Kuwait, and Filipino communities in the region, demonstrating a whole-of-government approach to ensuring the safety of Filipinos overseas,” dagdag pa. RNT/JGC
