26 Ilonggos in Riyadh safe; 1 OFW heading home

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Government is monitoring 26 Ilonggos in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, and one overseas Filipino worker (OFW) is being prepared for repatriation.

Dr. Cynthia P. Dario, head of the Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO), said Tuesday that of 4,475 Ilonggos monitored, 26 had been profiled in an area near reported bombings and had confirmed that they were safe.

“As of now, one person is set for repatriation, while the others have not yet expressed a desire to return home,” Dario said.

The PESO is coordinating with municipal PESO managers to obtain real-time updates on Ilonggos in the affected areas.

The PESO primarily handles cases involving distressed OFWs who seek government assistance.

For workers who wish to return to the Philippines, the office is coordinating with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to expedite repatriation.

Upon arrival at the airport, repatriated OFWs will be assessed to determine the assistance they need, including financial aid and psychosocial support.

Workers who choose to remain in Saudi Arabia will continue to be monitored to help ensure their safety.

Dario also said OWWA is facilitating scholarship assistance for the children of OFWs, particularly those whose parents have been repatriated, to help them continue their education.

The monitoring comes amid reports of attacks in Saudi Arabia.

Seven Filipino workers had been wounded in a series of attacks as of Monday, three of them critically, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The DFA said it was coordinating with the DMW and Saudi authorities to ensure that the injured workers receive medical care and other assistance.

It also expressed condolences to the families of those killed.

The DFA urged all parties to cease hostilities and called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, warning that the attacks pose a grave threat to regional peace and stability.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have fired missiles and drones at Saudi territory since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015.

According to Saudi authorities, a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Oct. 10 killed 12 people and injured 309.

The attacks have heightened security concerns across the kingdom amid a broader regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran that began Feb. 28.

The situation remains a concern for the Philippines, which has a substantial overseas workforce in the region.

Nearly 1 million Filipinos live in Saudi Arabia, while more than 2.4 million reside across the Middle East, according to the DFA.

Saudi Arabia is also the third-largest source of remittances from overseas Filipino workers, after the United States and Singapore.