DFA: Arroyo to welcome 651 OFWs repatriated from ME on Friday

04/22/2010 | 07:37 PM

At least 651 Filipinos repatriated from the Middle East will arrive in Manila Friday afternoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The DFA said President Arroyo will personally welcome the repatriates at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

"Majority of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are from Jeddah, with 302 repatriates; followed by Riyadh, with 150; and Abu Dhabi, with 60. The other repatriates will come from Dubai (50), Jordan (49), Al Khobar (26), and Bahrain (14)," the DFA said in its website (www.dfa.gov.ph).

It said the repatriates include distressed OFWs sheltered at the Filipino Workers Resource Centers.

Also expected to meet them are DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) Executive Director Enrico Fos, DFA-OUMWA Principal Assistant Maurice Tiempo and representatives from the DFA-OUMWA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

The DFA said the mass repatriation project was conceived and realized through the concerted efforts of both public and private sectors.

On the government side, the DFA-OUMWA, OWWA, the Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in the Middle East, and the Department of Labor and Employment facilitated the processing of papers and other clearances of the repatriates.

"Majority of the return plane tickets purchased for the mass repatriation were funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines, Landbank, Pag-ibig Fund, San Miguel Corporation, and First Metro Pacific," the DFA said.

Earlier, the DFA facilitated the repatriation of 113 Filipinos from Jeddah and Qatar who arrived in four batches during the Holy Week.

The DFA-OUMWA continues to work closely with the Philippine Embassies and Consulates General to facilitate the repatriation of other distressed Filipinos overseas.—JV, GMANews.TV

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