Jeddah: The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has served about 1,263 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, delivering a total of 4,047 government transactions, as it continues to roll out the Bagong Bayani ng Mundo: OFW Serbisyo Caravan across major overseas Filipino communities.
According to Philippines News Agency, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced that the Jeddah leg of the Serbisyo Caravan took place from August 8 to 9 and is set to move to Al Khobar on August 15 and 16. The OFW Serbisyo Caravan in Jeddah marks the sixth leg of this flagship program, aligning with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to make government services more accessible to the people. Previous Serbisyo Caravans have been successfully conducted in Hong Kong, Riyadh, Osaka, Doha, and Dubai, serving a total of 11,545 OFWs with 29,044 transactions facilitated by the department and 16 other government agencies.
Cacdac credited the success of the Jeddah caravan to the effective coordination between government personnel and Filipino community volunteers. Organizations like the OFW Council of Leaders, Guardians International, The Fraternal Order of Eagles-Philippine Eagles, and the Philippine Nurses Association in Jeddah played an active role by mobilizing at least a hundred members to assist in crowd management, registration, and guiding OFWs to access services from various government agencies during the two-day event.
In a gesture of gratitude, Cacdac, along with Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, Assistant Secretary Francis Ron de Guzman, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Deputy Administrator Ryan Uy, and Philippine Consul General Rommel Romato, recognized the volunteers by awarding them certificates of appreciation in a fellowship event after the caravan concluded. Cacdac expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the love and support extended to fellow countrymen under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
The Serbisyo Caravan is part of the administration's One Country Team Approach, a comprehensive strategy for supporting overseas Filipinos. The services provided included the issuance of OWWA E-cards, national IDs, and civil registry documents such as birth, marriage, death certificates, and Certificates of No Marriage Record.
In parallel with the caravan, the DMW also facilitated the repatriation of 24 distressed OFWs from Jeddah, in collaboration with OWWA and the Philippine Consulate General. The DMW ensured the safe return of 16 OFWs who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday, followed by another group of eight on Tuesday. These repatriates, who had been sheltered at the Bahay Kalinga in Jeddah, received financial aid, temporary accommodation, transportation to their home provinces, and medical assistance upon their return.
