299 OFWs from Saudi Arabia set to return to the Philippines by October

At least 299 overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia are scheduled to return to the Philippines by the end of the month, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced.

The OFWs have confirmed flight bookings and are returning from October 19 to October 25.

The travel arrangements of more than 100 more OFWs are also being arranged and are set to travel through other routes from Hail, Al Qassim, and Dammam.

The 299 OFWs are part of the nearly 400 OFWs being assisted by the DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) after their flights to Riyadh were canceled or delayed.

DMW and OWWA offices in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar, along with the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, are assisting in arranging their repatriation.

These affected OFWs were provided with food, temporary shelter, transportation, financial assistance, and medical and psychological services came from the DMW's AKSYON Fund and the OWWA's Emergency Repatriation Fund (ERF), under the Saving Lives program, which is part of the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance Program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

On Monday, October 19, 2026, at least 34 OFWs are expected to arrive in Manila while 50 more OFWs are scheduled to depart from Saudi Arabia for Manila. — BAP, GMA News