The Philippines’ Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has confirmed that it has allowed the repatriation of the remains of overseas Filipino workers who have died due to COVID-19 from Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia initially gave a 72-hour deadline for the Philippines to fly home the remains of Filipinos who have succumbed to the disease. Philippine officials asked for more time to do the repatriation with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III confirming that all remains will be cremated upon arrival in the country.
“Sinuportahan ng IATF and DOLE at ang DFA na pauwiin lahat ng mga OFW na namatay dahil sa Covid-19,” said Presidential Spokesperson and acting IATF-EID Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque.
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Secretary Bello, meanwhile, announced that the remains of the 301 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died from Covid-19 and other causes in several regions of Saudi Arabia will be flown back home in early July.
Reports from the Philippine News Agency furthered that the Labor Secretary said they are preparing for the repatriation with the Department of Health (DOH) who has set the protocols for the handling, reception, and domestic transport of all the bodies.
Based on initial preparations, two chartered planes will separately fly the Covid-19 fatalities and those who died of other causes.
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The bodies will be transported from various points to Riyadh and Jeddah and will be flown back to the country by the second week of July.
The DOLE, he added, will notify the families of the arrival of the remains of their loved ones, along with their respective local government units (LGUs) to allow their domestic transport.
