The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) said Wednesday that welfare officers in Jeddah have brought home distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from deportation centers as many and as fast as they can.

OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon admitted that they know the discomfort of OFWs in sharing deportation facilities in Jeddah with hundreds of migrants from other migrant-sending countries.

“These centers are not within control of OWWA and we ask immigration authorities of host countries for permission to visit, bring food, and check medical condition of our stranded nationals,” Dimzon said.
 
OWWA records said that a total of 700 runaway OFWs and their children from Jeddah, Kuwait and Bahrain were already sent home in the last five weeks and paid for their plane fares.

Dimzon said that on the directive of Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Secretary Rozalinda Baldoz, she wanted to get and detained Filipinos out of these centers and flown home. (Jean Fernando)