MANILA, Philippines — The government’s COVID-19 task force has approved requests to repatriate the remains of overseas Filipinos workers (OFW) who succumbed to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Malacañang said on Friday.
“Sinuportahan ng IATF ang DOLE at ang DFA sa desisyon na pauwiin ang lahat ng mga OFW namatay dahil sa COVID-19 (IATF supported the position of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Foreign Affairs to bring home the remains of OFWs who died due to COVID-19),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during an online press briefing.
Saudi Arabia earlier gave the Philippine government 72 hours to bring home the remains of the 287 OFWs there. Over 180 died of natural causes while 107 succumbed to COVID-19.
The initial decision of the IATF was to bury the remains of the OFWs who died of COVID-19 since the Middle Eastern country does not allow cremation.
According to international health regulations, the remains of individuals who died from an infectious disease should be cremated before it can be transported.
However, the families of the Filipino migrant workers who died of COVID-19 requested that their loved ones be brought home.