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Friday, March 29, 2024

OFW remains in Saudi sent home by July 4

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The Labor department said Wednesday it is looking to bring home on July 4 the remains of 274 Filipino workers who have died of COVID-19 and other ailments in Saudi Arabia.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said they were doing everything so they could have all the bodies released.

“We are doing our best to meet all the requirements such as health protocols, exit visas and the approval of the employers and the next of kin. We have to get all of these and try to bring them home by July 4,” Belo said.

He also said they were seeking additional funds to help 500,000 displaced Filipino workers applying for cash assistance under its Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program.

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He says they have P700 million left form the program, but that will not be enough for the thousands of workers seeking financial aid.

Under the program, a Filipino worker may apply for a one-time cash aid of P10,000.

The remains in Saudi Arabia include 129 workers who succumbed to COVID-19 and 145 others who died of other causes.

“By July 4, the remains of our beloved kababayans should have been flown back to the Philippines; otherwise it will be the Saudi government that will bury our countrymen,” Bello said.

He says the bodies, particularly those who died of COVID-19, will be sealed in body bags based on the standards set by the World Health Organization.

The bodies will be brought to a crematorium once those arrive.

Last week, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the repatriation of the remains in Saudi Arabia. 

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