FINAL RESPECTS. Cabinet officials attend the ceremony for the arrival of the remains of 49 OFWs from Saudi Arabia at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City on Friday (July 10, 2020). The Department of Labor and Employment assured that all 274 bodies of deceased OFWs in the kingdom would be repatriated to the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of DOLE)
MANILA – Cabinet officials on Friday honored the 49 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) whose remains were repatriated from Saudi Arabia via a Philippine Airlines (PAL) charter flight.
In a ceremony at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City aired over state-run PTV-4, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, representing President Rodrigo Duterte, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. were among those who paid their last respects to the bodies that arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 10 a.m.
Of the 49 OFWs, 20 died of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and 29 of other causes.
Before the remains were transported to various crematoriums, the caskets were blessed by Philippine Air Force chaplain, Rev. Fr. Capt. Jessie Gagarin.
"(We condole) with the families of our modern-day heroes as we receive them back on our soil and give them honors in an extremely extraordinary situation,” Bello said in a statement.
He also apologized for the delays in the repatriation of the remains due to the lockdown and strenuous processes that they had to undertake.
“If today, we have 32 of our beloved OFWs from Dammam and 17 from Riyadh, next to be brought back are those from Jeddah and other parts of the region. To endeavor on the repatriation of the human remains of our OFWs of this magnitude is a first for the government,” Bello added.
He also acknowledged the collaborative efforts of the departments of health, interior, defense, and transportation, as well as the Bureau of Quarantine, Manila International Airport Authority, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary and National Task Force against Covid-19 chair Delfin Lorenzana said the repatriation of the deceased OFWs is part of the whole-of-government approach of the Duterte administration in taking care of the welfare of overseas Filipinos amid the pandemic.
"Ang nais naming bati sana para sa mga OFWs ay ang mas madalas na mainit na pagbati ng maligayang bati sa lupang sinilangan. Ngunit sa malungkot na pagkakataong ito, mula sa bumubuo ng National Covid-19 Task Force at isang bansang lumuluksa, maraming salamat at paalam sa inyo, aming mga kababayan (What we wish to give our OFWs is the usual warm welcome upon their return to the motherland. But in this sad moment, from the people behind the National Covid-19 Task Force and a nation in mourning, thank you and farewell, our compatriots)," Lorenzana said.
The 49 remains that arrived make up the first batch of the 274 bodies of OFWs in Saudi Arabia that are awaiting repatriation.
Another 44 remains are set to arrive on Monday.
Meanwhile, OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac assured the families of the OFWs that they would receive cash aid from the government.
“All the families are entitled to receive cash assistance from DOLE-OWWA, insurance benefits and some of the families will also get DOLE-OWWA assistance as provided by law,” Cacdac said.
Earlier, Bello assured the relatives of the deceased OFWs that all 274 bodies would be repatriated to the country. (PNA)
