“This brings to 151 the total number of Filipinos repatriated by the Philippine Consulate from May 16 to 19,” Consul General Ezzedin H. Tago told Arab News on Friday.

The 54 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), who were cleared for repatriation by the Saudi Directorate General for Passports (Jawazat), were part of the 165 Filipinos who went beyond the authorized period of stay and underwent processing at the Saudi Deportation Center. The Consulate General arranged the flight bookings of the 54 Filipinos, consisting of 36 men, 14 women and 4 children. It also facilitated the release of their travel documents.

Meanwhile, the number of Filipino mothers with children at the Bahay Kalinga (BK) shelter has come down to seven after the repatriation of three others on March 24. 

“Their cases, which involve immorality, are being handled differently by the POLO compared to those who merely absconded. A case officer has been assigned to each of them while they are at the BK,” a POLO official told Arab News on Friday. The official added that the case officers are coordinating with Saudi authorities for travel documents so that the mothers and children could be repatriated to the Philippines. “The cases of the seven mothers are of a different nature.  One case, for instance, involves a mother who already has a travel document but her child does not,” the official said.

The official did not identify the seven mothers but John Leonard Monterona, Migrante Middle East regional coordinator, did.  The seven mothers are Maricel Lopez, Salma E. Tanjili, Glenda L. Eucapor, Editha Castro, Jasmin L. Harayin, Zurmia Mail, and Marife Canotal.

The three mothers who had been repatriated earlier with their children were Ramla Kosain of Sinsuat, Maguindanao, who left with her one-year-old  daughter; Norayma Naslo of Talayan, Maguindanao, with one-year-old daughter; and Luz Cabrera of  San Luis, Pampanga, with a two-year-old daughter.

They left on a Philippine Airlines flight.