DFA’s Chartered Flight from Saudi Arabia Flies Home 347 Filipinos

Pasay City, 21 June 2021 – A special repatriation flight especially chartered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA), arrived late evening on 19 June 2021, bringing home 347 distressed overseas Filipino workers.

The group of repatriates included one stretcher-bound patient, five pregnant women, one who is visually-impaired, and five who are wheelchair-borne.

Pre-processing of financial assistance of Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) was done to qualified beneficiaries, which would be given upon their release from quarantine.

"Hearing the cries of our kababayan for help, and faithful to our sworn duty to help every Filipino in distress anywhere in the world, we will exhaust all efforts to bring all of them safely home” said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola.

The beneficiaries expressed their joy for the 10,000 pesos financial assistance, stating that it would give them a boost as they start rebuilding their lives anew.

The repatriates will undergo stringent facility-based quarantine provided by the Philippine government, in conformity with the health protocols set by the Department of Health (DOH) - Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) and shall be subjected to RT-PCR Testing for COVID19.

The Philippine government upholds the One-Country Team Approach (OCTA) by continuously collaborating and cooperating with the Department of Health (DOH), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure the safety and welfare of our Kababayans.  END