72 more Saudi OFWs’ remains to arrive home Aug. 28

FILE: Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III during a press conference on Thursday (Sept. 27, 2018), which is held at the DOLE main office in Intramuros, Manila.(PNA photo by Gil Calinga)

MANILA – The fourth batch of the remains of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is set to be flown back home on Friday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said a chartered flight of the Philippine Airlines will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 9:40 a.m. on August 28, carrying 72 bodies of OFWs.

Out of this number, 62 succumbed to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) while 10 died of other causes.

He added that the OFWs are covered by the repatriation program of the labor department through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in the Arab country.

Bello said of the 72 remains, 40 are from Al Khobar, 17 from Jeddah, and 15 from Riyadh. This brings to 264 the total repatriated human remains of OFWs from Saudi Arabia.

“The first three batches involving the remains of 192 migrant workers were brought home by the government in separate occasions last month,” the DOLE chief said in a statement.

They were welcomed by key officials of state agencies in recognition of their heroism and valuable contribution to the national economy, he added.

“The same respect will be accorded to the arriving OFWs who lost their lives in the KSA in pursuit of a better future for their families and motherland,” Bello said.

He added that top government officials will be on hand in welcoming home the bodies of the country’s modern-day heroes on Friday.

“We are ready for their arrival. We will continue to bring home our heroes whatever it takes,” he added.