From Philstar

By Alexia Bangayan

After a three-day land journey through the Middle East, 244 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families were safely brought back to the Philippines on Good Friday, April 3.

According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the group, originally from Bahrain, traveled across the border to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) before boarding a Gulf Air flight bound for Manila, which arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3.

Upon arrival, several government personnel were on standby to provide immediate assistance and coordinate further support services for the arrivals.

The repatriates were brought home in several groups over the recent days through coordinated efforts of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to ensure their safety.

Since late March, more than 2,000 OFWs and their families have been brought home from conflict-affected areas.

Among earlier evacuations was a group of 10 OFWs from Lebanon via a Turkish flight, one of whom was a domestic helper abandoned by their employers after tensions escalated in the region.

The DMW said that further repatriation flights are expected in the coming days as the ongoing crisis continues to impact millions of Filipinos living in Middle Eastern countries.

The turmoil began nearly a month ago after airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, which led to counterattacks across Gulf nations and caused widespread travel disruptions.