54 remains of OFWs from Saudi arrive in PH Tuesday

DEAD HEROES. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III leads the posthumous welcome for the 54 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the Balagbag ramp of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday (July 28, 2020). Of the total, some 39 died due to coronavirus disease 2019. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA — The third batch of remains of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon.

A chartered Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight carrying 54 caskets from Riyadh arrived in Manila at 2:22 p.m.

According to PAL, the remains were from Alkhobar (20), Jeddah (10), and Riyadh (24). Thirty-nine of them died from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The repatriation was through the joint efforts of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

DOLE earlier reported that 49 remains of OFWs from Saudi Arabia arrived in the country last July 10, while the second batch carrying 88 remains arrived last July 19.

The remains of those who died of Covid-19 would be cremated immediately, while the kin of those who died of natural causes have the option to bury them or have them cremated, the DOLE earlier announced.