Financial relief has reached nearly 4,000 workers while international flight links between Manila and Saudi Arabia begin a restricted recovery following the deadly October 10 security incident at King Khaled International Airport.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed Saturday that financial assistance has been distributed to 3,900 individuals impacted by the three-week air hub closure, including 3,700 airport personnel and related workers.
“Because the airport was temporarily closed, work was disrupted, affecting airport personnel and related sectors. This includes ground crew, maintenance workers, duty-free staff, airport concessionaires, and flight attendants,” DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said.
The financial aid distribution accompanied the return of another 62 Filipinos from Riyadh on Saturday night, bringing the total number of repatriated citizens to 574. The latest arrival follows the initial return of 512 Filipinos after the three-week air space shutdown triggered by a Houthi strike that killed 12 people, marking the deadliest attack in the kingdom in over a decade according to Reuters.
Cacdac, who traveled alongside the latest group of returnees, noted that while King Khaled International Airport reopened four days ago, flight availability remains tight and requires continuous government intervention to rebook stranded passengers.
“Following the arrival of the first 512 repatriates, another 62 have arrived tonight. I traveled with them on the plane,” Cacdac said in a social media update by GMA News reporter Jaime Santos.
“They were delayed because there were no Riyadh-to-Manila flights. King Khaled International Airport was closed for three weeks, and although it reopened four days ago, flight operations are still not back to normal,” Cacdac also said.
State-assisted evacuations will remain active over the coming days, with approximately 500 additional Filipinos scheduled for repatriation across the next four to five days.
The DMW chief assured that the administration remains committed to maintaining continuous support services for overseas Filipino workers navigating canceled or delayed commercial flights.
Cacdac also expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabian authorities for coordinating safety protocols that prevented casualties among the migrant worker community during recent threat alerts.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the King, the Crown Prince, and the government of Saudi Arabia for their protection. While I was there for five days, there were several security alerts. In fact, not a single OFW was affected, and no one was injured during those alerts,” Cacdac added.