42 distressed OFWs arriving home Thursday from Riyadh —official

Riyadh—A total of 42 distressed OFWs at Bahay KaIinga expected to arrive in the Philippines this Thursday, an official of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh said.

Labor Attache Nasser Mustafa said the 42 Pinoy workers left Riyadh on Wednesday on a Philippine Airlines flight.

Labor Attache Mustafa with distressed OFWs. R. CONCHA

They are the second batch of distressed OFWs who have secured exit visa from the Saudi Ministry of Labor, upon the request of Secretary Silvestre Bello III and OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac during the two official's recent visit to the Kingdom, said Mustafa.

The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh is expecting 80 more OFWs to be repatriated soon, after they get their exit visas.

According to Mustafa, the latest issuance of exit visa has been one of the achievements of Secretary Bello's visit last week.

"Isa ito sa magandang resulta ng pag punta sa Riyadh ng ating butihing Secretary Silvestre Bello III at OWWA [Overseas Workers Welfare Administration] Administrator Hans Cacdac at harinaway mag tuloy tuloy eto para mas marami sa ating mga kababayan na naghihintay makauwi ang makapiling na nila ang kanilang mga mahal sa buhay."

OWWA shouldered the air tickets of the repatriates. —LBG GMA News