Riyadh: Another batch of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from four countries will be repatriated on March 23 through a single chartered flight, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) announced on Saturday. OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, along with the agency's response team, flew to Riyadh to ensure the safe return of the OFWs from Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.

According to Philippines News Agency, OWWA stated that 88 OFWs from Bahrain and 99 from Kuwait are currently in Riyadh. Upon arrival, Caunan immediately welcomed the Filipinos who traveled from Kuwait and Bahrain, with the assistance of teams from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), OWWA, and the Philippine embassies.

The DMW-OWWA Rapid Response Team is assisting the OFWs from Qatar who will join the latest batch of repatriates. Their arrival in Riyadh is part of the preparations for the fourth government-chartered flight amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. This will also be the second chartered flight organized by OWWA, scheduled to depart from Riyadh on March 23.

OWWA emphasized that this marks the first time that OFWs from four countries will be transported together on a single chartered flight as part of the government's repatriation operations. The response team continues to process documents and visas, arrange land and air transportation, and provide accommodation to ensure the smooth and safe repatriation of the OFWs affected by the crisis.

The primary goal of this operation is to guarantee the safety of the OFWs and bring them home safely to their families in the Philippines.