MANILA, Philippines — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Saturday said that bodies of the 71 deceased overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia will arrive in the country tomorrow, Sunday, July 19.
This is the second batch of repatriation for the total 274 remains of OFWs, who died from COVID-19 and other diseases in Saudi Arabia.
Of the 71, around 40 of them were deaths related to COVID-19, according to OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac.
“Bukas magkakaroon ng second chartered flight ng pagpapauwi ng mga deceased OFWs at 71 pong Saudi OFWs na nasawi ang uuwi bukas,” he said during the Laging Handa online press briefing.
(Tomorrow, a second chartered flight will bring home deceased OFWs, 71 deceased OFWs from Saudi will be brought home.)
“Pasisinayaan ni [Department of Labor and Employment] Sec. [Silvestre] Bello ang proceedings. Mga kuwarenta po sa kanila ay COVID afflicted,” Cacdac added.
(Sec. Bello will lead the proceedings. Around 40 of those who died were COVID-19 afflicted.
Cacdac added that the bereaved families will receive assistance from the government.
On July 19, the government brought home the first batch of remains consisting of 49 bodies.