Over 300 stranded OFWs repatriated from Saudi Arabia – DFA

A total of 354 stranded Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia have been repatriated, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

According to the DFA, the OFWs arrived in Manila on Thursday through a special repatriation flight.

"Knowing full well a Filipino’s yearning to be with their loved ones during Christmas, the government exerted its utmost to bring home our kababayan so that they could celebrate this season of cheer with their families,” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola said in a statement.

Arriola said the repatriates would undergo stringent facility-based quarantine, in conformity with the health protocols set by the Bureau of Quarantine, including RT-PCR testing for COVID-19.

“The Philippine government upholds the One-Country Team Approach by continuously collaborating with the Department of Health, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Philippine Coast Guard to ensure the safety and welfare of our kababayan,” she added. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA News