After repatriation, some OFWs reluctant to return to Middle East

Another batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East arrived in Manila on Monday morning. But some of them are no longer interested to go back to the Gulf region to work even if the tension eases. 

In Bea Pinlac’s report in “24 Oras”, OFW Merlyn Agustin is thankful that she returned to the Philippines safely. They were crossing into Saudi Arabia when she celebrated her 60th birthday yesterday.

“Ako po ay napauwi po dahil sa kaguluhan sa Kuwait. Natakot po ako sa pagsabog. Kaya sinabi ko po sa amo ko po na uuwi na lang ako,” she said. 

(I decided to come home because of the chaos in Kuwait. I was terrified of the explosions. That’s why I told my employer that I would just go back home.) 

For Alicia Pangilinan, she has been working in Qatar for a month but she also decided to come back home amid the conflict.

“Umiiyak na lang po ako kapag ako mag-isa sa kwarto ko. Tapos nagdadasal lang po na makauwi,” she said. 

(I would just cry whenever I was alone in my room. Then I would just pray that I could come home.) 

But her worries faded away as her young son hugged her upon her homecoming.

Merlyn and Alicia were among the 317 OFWs along with 26 dependents who arrived from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.

This is the fourth batch of OFWs who were repatriated amid the tensions in the Middle East.

“May mga DMW, Migrant Workers' Office, OWWA, in partnership with the DFA na mga land crossings na isinagawa. Kasi sarado ang airspace in Kuwait, Bahrain, and limited or restricted ang airspace sa Qatar. It was a land crossing effort, it took about, on average, about 7 to 8 hours to get to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,” said Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac.

(There were land crossings conducted by the DMW, Migrant Workers' Office, and OWWA, in partnership with the DFA. This was because the airspace in Kuwait and Bahrain was closed, and airspace in Qatar was limited or restricted. It was a land crossing effort that took, on average, about 7 to 8 hours to reach Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.) 

Some of the returning OFWs do not want to go back to the Middle East at all.

“Sa narasan po doon ay talagang hindi na po makakabalik,” said May Quinto. 

(With everything I experienced there, I won’t go back.)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed the arrival of the OFWs earlier in the day. 

Over 1,200 OFWs and their dependents are expected to arrive in the coming days, the DMW said. The national government promised to provide post-repatriation services such as financial aid and employment facilitation. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/JMA, GMA Integrated News