FROM 57, the third batch of deceased overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Saudi Arabia set to be repatriated has risen to 71, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.
“Of the last batch, 57 succumbed to COVID-19, while 14 died of other causes,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement, adding the remains are set to arrive tomorrow, Tuesday.
Last July 10, the first batch of 49 remains arrived, with 19 of them dying due to COVID-19 and 30 from other causes.
The second batch, composed of 88 bodies, was flown in last July 19 — 45 from COVID-19 and 43 from other causes.
Bello said a state ceremony will be held to honor the repatriated OFW remains. “Just like what our migrant workers are known for, they worked tirelessly to make good for their families, and contributed immensely to our country,” he said. “Our OFW heroes deserve all the honors they could get.”
Meanwhile, the number of overseas Filipinos repatriated to the country since February has breached the 100,000 mark after 12,022 were brought home last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The DFA said 8,895 came from the Middle East, 1,806 from Asia and the Pacific, 677 from Europe and 644 from the Americas.
DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Sarah Lou Arriola said of the 102,519 overseas Filipinos repatriated since February when COVID-19 cases started to rise, 43,893 or 42.8 percent are sea-based while 58,626 or 57.2 percent are land-based.
“Repatriating more than 100,000 overseas Filipinos is a first in the history of the DFA. It may look easy but in reality it was difficult but through the sustained efforts of our dedicated personnel who labored 24/7 since February and the full cooperation of all our foreign service posts, we pulled this feat off,” she said.
Labor officials had estimated that up to 500,000 overseas Filipino workers may be out of job by the end of August due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the number may even hit 700,000 by the end of the year. — With Ashzel Hachero
