SAYS LABOR CHIEF: Stranded Filipinos in Saudi home within the month

MANILA, Philippines -- Acting Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque announced on Wednesday that 62 overseas Filipino workers who have been stranded in various regions in Saudi Arabia will finally be coming home this month.

“I have been informed by our Philippine Overseas Labor Office and the Overseas Welfare Office that 62 OFWs facing various problems in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will finally be coming home in four batches, with the last batch coming in on April 15,” Roque said in a statement.

Roque said that Labor Attaché Adam Musa and Welfare Officer Romeo Pablo have reported that 31 OFWs from Jeddah will arrive in the Philippines in two batches.

The first batch, according to the acting labor chief, consists of eight OFWs flying in via Malaysian Airlines flight 704 on April 10.

The second batch, consisting of 23 Filipino workers, is arriving via Etihad Airlines on April 12.

Roque added that 15 OFWs who were returned by Saudi immigration authorities to Riyadh will arrive in Manila on board Gulf Airways on the same day.

The last batch, consisting of 16 OFWs who were returned by Saudi immigration authorities to Alkhobar, will fly in to Manila via Etihad Airways on April 15.

“The repatriation of the OFWs is part of the government’s continuing effort to assist OFWs in distress who want to come home,” Roque said. - Margaux Ortiz, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 09, 2008