600 OFWs stranded in Jeddah returning home

MANILA, Philippines - About 600 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in the “tent city” in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia are coming home soon for free, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday.

“The government will take care of their airfare as well as other immigration fees,” Binay said.

The Vice President said the delays in the repatriation of the OFWs were caused mainly by the workers’ lack of exit visas from their employers.

“Please try to understand that the delay of their return to the country was caused by the required exit visas because some of them have other cases and their employers do not want to give the exit visas,” Binay said. 

But Binay said the issues are now resolved and the exit visa requirement has been waived. The “only problem is their return and there are about 600 who are coming.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) so far has not yet announced the date of their arrival, Binay said.

“I am optimistic that the DFA, under Secretary (Albert) del Rosario’s direct guidance, is working hard so that our kababayans can come home at the soonest possible time,” he added.