1st batch of deceased OFWs from Saudi Arabia to arrive today

The first batch of the 274 deceased overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia will arrive today, July 10, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Thursday said during a Laging Handa press briefing.

Bello said that a dry run was already conducted at the Villamor Airbase for the arrival procedures of the first batch of the remains of 44 deceased OFWs.

He said the plane they chartered for the repatriation can only accommodate 44 bodies.

“They will be arriving tomorrow (Friday) at 10:55 a.m.,” he said yesterday.

He assured that all of the 274 dead OFWs will be brought home.

“I would like to inform the next of kin, the relatives of our dead OFWs that at all cost we will repatriate all of them,” he said.

“In fact, the (first) 44 will be followed by another 44 on Sunday. It will arrive Monday and we will do that until we have repatriated all our dead OFWs,” added Bello.

Of the first 44, 19 died of COVID-19 while 25 died of natural causes.

Upon arrival in the country, Bello said the bodies of those who died of COVID-19 will be brought to a crematorium.

As to those who died of natural causes, Bello said relatives will have the option to either get the remains of their dead for burial or agree to cremation.

“Eighty percent of them already agreed to have them cremated,” Bello said.

According to DOLE, the first batch of dead OFWs are from Riyadh and AlKhobar while the second batch are from Dammam and Jeddah.