1,143 OFWs return from Middle East
Published Jun 16, 2020 12:00 am
By Leslie Ann Aquino
A total of 1,143 overseas Filipino workers from the Middle East have arrived in Manila on Monday, June 15, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The labor department said the first batch comprised of 345 OFWs from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrived via PAL.
"The workers have long completed their contracts with the Saudi Manpower Solutions Company (SMASCO) but could not be sent home immediately when the Saudi government imposed travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said DOLE in a statement.
The DOLE said the second batch was flown in via Qatar Airways consisting 410 OFWs from Lebanon while the third batch consisting of 400 OFWs, mostly wards in POLO Dubai, was flown in via Cebu Pacific.
DOLE said the OFWs were flown home via chartered flights from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and then United Arabia Emirates.
"Their return was facilitated through the close coordination among the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and the employers," DOLE said.
The labor department said in assisting the arriving workers, the OWWA repatriation team was joined by the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct swab tests.
The DOLE said OWWA brought the returning workers to quarantine facilities while awaiting their COVID test results.
According to the labor department, the OWWA will provide transport to COVID-19-free OFWs to their final destination provinces, in coordination with the local government units.
OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac, meantime, asked the assisted OFWs to download the UWIAN NA app available at Google store or to register at uwianna.owwa.gov.ph.
This, he said, is for a systematic tracing of OFWs in OWWA quarantine facilities and to organize their travel back home
“Our assisted OFWs may also check OWWA’s official page specially created for quarantine operations, https://www.facebook.com/OWWAQuarantineOps/?modal=admin_todo_tour. In that page, we share the lists of negative results from the PCG," Cacdac said.
"You can also find hotline numbers of different agencies like Konsulta MD if you have medical concern, or Hopeline Philippines if you need counseling,” he added.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
The labor department said the first batch comprised of 345 OFWs from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia arrived via PAL.
"The workers have long completed their contracts with the Saudi Manpower Solutions Company (SMASCO) but could not be sent home immediately when the Saudi government imposed travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic," said DOLE in a statement.
The DOLE said the second batch was flown in via Qatar Airways consisting 410 OFWs from Lebanon while the third batch consisting of 400 OFWs, mostly wards in POLO Dubai, was flown in via Cebu Pacific.
DOLE said the OFWs were flown home via chartered flights from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and then United Arabia Emirates.
"Their return was facilitated through the close coordination among the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and the employers," DOLE said.
The labor department said in assisting the arriving workers, the OWWA repatriation team was joined by the Philippine Coast Guard to conduct swab tests.
The DOLE said OWWA brought the returning workers to quarantine facilities while awaiting their COVID test results.
According to the labor department, the OWWA will provide transport to COVID-19-free OFWs to their final destination provinces, in coordination with the local government units.
OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac, meantime, asked the assisted OFWs to download the UWIAN NA app available at Google store or to register at uwianna.owwa.gov.ph.
This, he said, is for a systematic tracing of OFWs in OWWA quarantine facilities and to organize their travel back home
“Our assisted OFWs may also check OWWA’s official page specially created for quarantine operations, https://www.facebook.com/OWWAQuarantineOps/?modal=admin_todo_tour. In that page, we share the lists of negative results from the PCG," Cacdac said.
"You can also find hotline numbers of different agencies like Konsulta MD if you have medical concern, or Hopeline Philippines if you need counseling,” he added.