The Philippine government has repatriated 50 stranded Filipino workers and four children from Saudi Arabia, providing 3.2 million pesos in assistance to support their return, the Department of Migrant Workers said.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac oversaw the group’s send-off Wednesday at Qassim International Airport. The department’s office in Riyadh arranged the repatriation in coordination with the Philippine Embassy and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
The assistance came from the department’s AKSYON Fund under its Unified Package of Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport program, known as UPLIFT. The department said the money was intended to cover immediate needs and help the workers return to the Philippines.
Officials did not explain what left the workers stranded or how long they had been waiting to return. The department also did not disclose how the assistance was distributed among the workers.
The four children were children of overseas Filipino workers, the department said, emphasizing the need to assist migrant workers’ families facing difficulties abroad.
Cacdac and his delegation attended the send-off to oversee arrangements and ensure the group received assistance, according to the department.
The agency said it would continue working with Philippine diplomatic and labor officials in Saudi Arabia to assist distressed workers, arrange repatriations and help returning workers and their families rebuild their lives.
Flight details and the group’s expected arrival time in the Philippines were not disclosed.
