Some thirty repatriated overseas Filipinos (OFs) from Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are expected to arrive today at 10 am and will be met by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo together with representatives of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

The arriving OFs are composed of 11 adults and 19 children whose ages range from 10 years to as young as 3 months old.

Similar to the assistance provided to the earlier batch of repatriates, DSWD will provide meals  to the OFs and augmentation assistance amounting to P5,000 to the mothers.  The  financial aid is meant for the purchase of basic goods for the children as they travel to their hometowns.

The Secretary said,  “The repatriates are those who have no legal papers in Riyadh, thus, life in the said country had been difficult.  As they come home, we would like to extend even a little assistance to help them with their plight and express government’s care in support to the mandate of President Rodrigo Duterte to make government’s services available to those in need.”

Aside from the financial assistance,  DSWD will refer the OFs to other concerned agencies for appropriate services such as medical.

On the other hand, OWWA provides temporary shelter to those OFs who live in the provinces.  OWWA also takes care of their transportation needs as they return to their  home towns. ###