Home, finally, after being stranded in Saudi Arabia

After months and, in some cases, years of uncertainty stranded in the Middle East, 54 distressed overseas Filipinos came home yesterday.

These Filipinos — including two infants — had sought refuge at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office before coming home.

In a press conference at the presidential lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2, OWWA Administrator Virgilio Angelo identified the 52 repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as: Lesaida Abdulhassan, Monina Abdulwahab, Badria Ali, Mylene Almanzor, Rosita Baclagan, Kadidia Baguan, Esmelle Banday, Jessilyn Baradi, Anabelle Bengco, Alanisa Benito, Carmelita Bernardino, Charito Bonifacio, Hawinan Buwang, Marian Canlas, Beatriz Cansejo, Emma Claveria, Rachel Coronel, Intam Diangca, Dina Dioneda, May Dioneto, Garpida Emerancia, Darna Galura, Symin Gascon, Ma. Teresita Guevarra, Josie Guzmani, Mirabeth Inoferio, Guibou Kasim, Grace Labadan, Mildred Lagrosa, Melanie Luna, Kumbiang Mancatong, Normina Maula, Halima Mayo, Saripa Mimbala, Sandra Mohamad, Lorena Molinos, Halima Motin, Laila Munap, Sahara Musa, Analisa Obleza, Rogelio Oquias, Imelda Pineda, Salima Radjak, Luzviminda Rafor, Hanan Rasulk, Mylene Ruiz, Nancy Salinas, Nasiba Sangikay, Ma. Teresa Tolentino, Ramir Villanueva, Saniya Jakariya and Nurshida Sahipa.

Also repatriated were Jakariya’s son, Majid Rasheed, who is one year and three months old; and Sahipa’s son, nine-month-old Ibrahim.

Welcoming the repatriated Filipinos were OWWA Director Marianito Roque and representatives from the OWWA and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).

The 54 Filipinos arrived at the NAIA from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia via Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR-659 at 12:35 p.m.

Angelo said the assistance extended to these Filipinos were part of the mass repatriation undertaken by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)-Riyadh. The OFWs and the two infants were housed in the Kalinga center in Riyadh with the help of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

"We are very grateful for the invaluable assistance extended by the Filipino officials there, as well as the unfailing support of our kababayans (compatriots)," Angelo said in a press statement. The OWWA, he said, will provide the repatriated Filipinos with airport assistance, counseling and other forms of assistance.

The OFWs from this group who live within Metro Manila will be escorted home, while those living in far-flung areas will be temporarily sheltered at the OWWA center in Pasay City en route to their hometowns.

Angelo said the repatriation of these OFWs was conducted in line with President Arroyo’s directive to bring home all stranded Filipino migrant workers at the soonest possible time.

In an interview with the press Jakariya, 33, said she worked as a domestic helper in Riyadh. She is a native of Zamboanga province. Jakariya said she escaped her employer after she got pregnant in August 2002. She said she married her boyfriend, a 29-year-old Sudanese named Rashid Jalal, when she found out that she was pregnant.

She left her employer out of fear she would be jailed and sought refuge at the OWWA offices with the help of the Philippine government.

Jakariya said her employer had taken her passport when she began employment, adding that her passport was never returned to her.

There are over a hundred more Filipino migrant workers stranded in Saudi Arabia seeking refuge at the OWWA center, the repatriated OFWs said.