Welcome Home: 442 OFWs From UAE Land sa NAIA Via Government Charter Flight
Four hundred forty-two Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates safely touched down at NAIA yesterday aboard a Philippine government-chartered Boeing 747-400 — the first charter flight arranged since the Middle East crisis erupted. Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac personally welcomed the kababayans as they stepped onto Philippine soil, calling it a fulfillment of President Marcos's directive to bring affected OFWs home.
Of the 442 repatriates, 200 are overseas Filipino workers while seven are children. The DMW said the operation was coordinated with the DFA, the Philippine embassy in Abu Dhabi, and the Philippine consulate general in Dubai. A second batch is expected to arrive today from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in another chartered flight.
In a separate pero equally heartwarming development, 24 OFWs were evacuated from Jeddah through a Singaporean repatriation flight. After Singapore prioritized its own nationals, available seats were offered to Filipinos — a move described as 'ASEAN solidarity in action' by Singaporean Ambassador Constance See.
Meanwhile, the remains of Filipina caregiver Mary Ann de Vera — who was killed in a missile attack in Israel — also arrived in the country early yesterday morning. Her husband Bernie Lavarias accompanied the body. Israeli Ambassador Dana Kursh and representatives from Congress and the Senate were present to pay respects.
De Vera, 32, a native of Pangasinan, had been working as a caregiver in Israel since 2019. Her husband earlier met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who expressed his deepest condolences. The DMW assured that they will continue providing assistance to the family during this difficult time.
Source: Philstar.com
