The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will cover the airfare costs for an initial group of 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after regional conflict caused widespread flight cancellations.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced the government-funded repatriation program on Saturday, noting that the action stems from direct instructions from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“In Riyadh, per directive of President Bongbong Marcos, we shall bring home an initial 200 OFWs whose flights to Manila have been cancelled,” Cacdac said in a statement, according to a report by GMA News reporter JP Soriano.
The DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will handle ticket costs for the stranded workers until commercial flights linking Riyadh and Manila resume normal operations, Cacdac added.
Air carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific suspended their routes connecting the two capitals as security concerns mounted between Saudi Arabia and Yemen-based Houthi rebels.
PAL confirmed that flight operations servicing Riyadh will remain suspended through November 29, 2026, while Cebu Pacific cancelled its scheduled flights to the city until October 31, 2026.
The air travel halt came after two separate missile or drone strikes targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh earlier in the month, forcing the facility to suspend operations.
An attack on October 10 resulted in 13 fatalities and over 300 injuries, including four Filipino nationals. Another strike on October 11 caused one death and injured nearly 12 individuals.
Following the elevated security risks, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh alongside the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah issued a joint security notice advising the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia to observe heightened caution.
The diplomatic advisory, released on October 9, called on Filipinos across the host country to maintain alertness and prioritize safety amidst ongoing military actions by Iran-aligned Houthi forces.