341 Filipinos From Saudi Arabia, Bahrain Safely Return to Manila

MANILA, Mar 15 A total of 341 Filipinos, including overseas Filipino workers and their family members, safely returned to the Philippines on Sunday aboard a government-arranged chartered flight as part of ongoing repatriation efforts amid tensions in the Middle East.

The flight landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 at around 7 a.m., carrying 328 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and 13 children. The returnees were welcomed by officials from the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, along with representatives of other government agencies.

Authorities provided immediate assistance to the repatriates, including temporary hotel accommodation, medical checkups, meals, and transportation to their home provinces. The returning workers will also receive financial aid from the government.

The chartered flight was the second repatriation operation organized under the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accelerate the safe return of Filipinos affected by the regional situation.

Most of the repatriated Filipinos had been working in Al Khobar, Dammam, and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, as well as in Bahrain. They first traveled by land across borders before boarding the chartered flight home.

Officials said the repatriation program aims to safeguard the welfare and safety of Filipinos working overseas during periods of regional crisis.