OWWA Administrator Atty. Patricia Yvonne "PY" Caunan welcomes overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait upon their arrival at NAIA Terminal 3 on Tuesday, June 16. (Photo courtesy of OWWA via Ariel Fernandez)
A total of 165 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Kuwait arrived safely at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Tuesday, June 16, at around 11 a.m.
Their return marked another successful government-led repatriation effort amid ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
The workers were first flown from Kuwait to Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, before returning to Manila, as part of coordinated measures to ensure their safety and smooth passage home.
The operation was carried out upon the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who has emphasized the protection and welfare of OFWs during the regional conflict.
Since February, nearly 11,000 OFWs and their families have been repatriated. Of this number, 6,060 were flown home through flights funded by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Emergency Repatriation Fund.
The effort has been a whole-of-government undertaking, involving the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), OWWA, Philippine embassies, Migrant Workers Offices, and partner agencies.
OWWA Administrator Atty. Patricia Yvonne “PY” Caunan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding Filipino workers abroad.
“We remain hopeful for a peaceful, just, and lasting peace for the benefit of all, especially our OFWs who work hard and sacrifice for their families every day,” she said.