Repatriation of 244 remains of Filipinos in Saudi Arabia a dilemma for PH gov’t

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday said he will discuss with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) the appeal for the repatriation of the bodies of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died in Saudi Arabia.

According to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Sarah Arriola, there are 244 remains in Saudi Arabia that need to be shipped – 106 of these remains are COVID-19-related.

Though it has been decided to let the remains of these OFWs be buried in Saudi, their relatives have been asking that their bodies be repatriated back to the Philippines, Bello said.

“When I report to the IATF, I will present to them the appeal of the relatives. They might change their minds and we will be able to bring them home, all of them, if that is the decision of the IATF,” Bello said during the Senate committee on labor and employment hearing.

“We are prepared to send two airplanes, courtesy of (Transportation) Secretary (Arthur) Tugade,” Bello said.

According to Health undersecretary Mario Villaverde, the issue is problematic since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not allow cremation as part of their tradition and culture.

“That becomes a concern because (under international protocol) when a person dies of an infectious disease, the body should be cremated before it is transferred through the airline or through ship from the origin,” Villaverde explained.

Villaverde said there is potential infection once the body decomposes, even if it well-preserved, during the transportation.

“When the cause of death is infectious disease, like COVID-19, it is required not only by our local laws but – quarantine laws and sanitation code, we are also required by international health regulation that once transported, it should be cremated. And that can be the basis for returning these dead bodies,” he said.

According to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Sarah Arriola, there are 244 remains in Saudi that need to be shipped; 106 of these remains are COVID-19-related.

Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, in a statement, said the Philippine government should allow the repatriation of the bodies of the OFWs who died from COVID-19 in Saudi to be repatriated.

“We urge the Administration to allow the repatriation of the bodies of OFWs who died from COVID-19 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Pangilinan said.

“Some families have even volunteered to help assist the government in transporting the remains, showing that they would do everything to be reunited with their relatives,” he pointed out.

“We hope this plea will not fall on deaf ears and be given utmost consideration by both the Philippine and Saudi governments,” added the lawmaker.

But Villaverde said they will look into some international regulations covering this concern, especially if the originating country would not allow cremation by their own tradition and by their own laws.

“We will look into the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO),” Villaverde said.

“But right now, I know that the law states that it should be cremated right from the origin,” he said.