Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan is currently in Riyadh to oversee the repatriation of overseas Filipino workers from multiple countries in the Middle East.
Caunan, along with members of the OWWA Rapid Response Team, is leading efforts to ensure the safe and orderly return of Filipinos in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
A total of 179 OFWs, including 80 from Bahrain and 99 from Kuwait, have already arrived in Riyadh in preparation for their flight back to the Philippines.
Filipinos from Qatar are also being assisted by teams from the Department of Migrant Workers and OWWA and are expected to join the group for repatriation.
The upcoming flight will mark the fourth government-chartered repatriation effort and the second organized by OWWA.
It will also be the first time that OFWs from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia will be transported together on a single chartered flight.
Authorities said preparations are ongoing, including processing travel documents and visas, arranging transportation and accommodation, and ensuring all safety measures are in place.
Officials emphasized that the priority of the operation is to ensure the safety of OFWs and facilitate their safe return to their families in the Philippines.
