Another group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) fleeing regional tensions in the Middle East will touch down in Manila this Sunday, March 15, Malacañang announced Saturday.
The repatriates are scheduled to arrive aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR8502 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at approximately 6:35 a.m.
This marks the second wave of government-facilitated returns since hostilities in the region prompted the Department of Migrant Workers to activate full-scale repatriation protocols earlier this month.
The arrivals come amid heightened alert following increased tensions across parts of the Middle East, which prompted the Philippine government to raise alert levels in several areas and encourage voluntary repatriation for Filipino workers in affected zones.
“The flight from Riyadh is expected to land at NAIA at 6:35 a.m., carrying overseas Filipino workers returning to the country as part of the government’s ongoing repatriation efforts,” Presidential Communications Office acting secretary Dave Gomez said in a statement.
Government support teams will be deployed at the airport to assist arriving OFWs, with protocols in place to help repatriates process documentation and receive initial services upon landing. The government will also provide transportation assistance to help OFWs return to their home provinces.
The first flight carrying repatriated Filipinos from Dubai arrived on March 5, with returning workers expressing both relief at being home and concern for colleagues who chose to remain.
The government continues to monitor the regional situation and has not ruled out additional repatriation flights should tensions escalate further. — Mari Paulyn Magtira, iNewsPH.com
