From 57, there will now be 71 remains of overseas Filipino workers who died in Saudi Arabia that will be flown home on Tuesday, July 28.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Sunday said of the 71 dead OFWs, 57 succumbed to COVID, while 14 died of other causes.
The third batch of remains will arrive to a reception just like in the first two batches.
In a statement, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the state ceremony for the repatriated remains of OFWs was well deserved.
“Our OFW heroes deserve all the honors they could get,” he said.
“I say they fought a good fight because just like what our migrant workers are known for, they worked tirelessly to make good for their families, and contributed immensely to our country,” added Bello.
The DOLE has so far flown home 137 remains of the more than 200 dead OFWs in Saudi Arabia.
The first 49 remains arrived on July 10, with 19 of them died due to the coronavirus, while 30 from other causes.
The second batch, composed of 88 bodies, was flown in on July 19.
Of the number, 28 were from Alkhobar, 11 from Jeddah, and 49 from Riyadh. The batch had 45 Covid-19 deaths and were immediately brought to crematoriums. The others were flown back to their respective provinces.
Bello said all expenses for the repatriation, cremation, transportation, and other costs will be shouldered by the government.