Rommel Romato

50 distressed OFWs in Jeddah receive aid as Cacdac visits renovated shelter MANILA – Fifty distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia received financial assistance as Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac visited the newly renovated Bahay Kalinga on Thursday. In a news release on Friday, the DMW said each beneficiary, including 42 domestic workers and eight male skilled workers, received 750 Saudi riyals (about PHP12,700) from the agency’s AKSYON Fund. The DMW said the visit was the third leg of Cacdac's solidarity and services mission in Saudi Arabia amid the continuing tensions in the region and following the closure of King Khalid International Airport. “The Mission complies with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive for the Secretary to reach out directly to Filipino migrant workers wherever they may be, emphasizing that government service must be responsive to their actual needs and circumstances and to show compassion, pakikiisa at paglilingkod sa pagdaop-palad sa mga mahal nating (unity and service in solidarity with our beloved) KSA OFWs,” the DMW said. The renovated Bahay Kalinga, operated by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Jeddah, serves as temporary shelter for distressed OFWs while their cases are being addressed and appropriate assistance is arranged. Meanwhile, Cacdac also recognized the Philippine labor team's efforts in assisting Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia, stressing the importance of coordination among the DMW, the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Consulate General, and the MWOs to ensure timely support for OFWs in need. DMW assistance programs, including the AKSYON Fund and Bahay Kalinga, are part of the government's efforts to protect the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers under the Unified Package of Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Assistance Program. (Marita Moaje/PNA) SHELTER. Philippine Consul General in Jeddah Rommel Romato (left) shows Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac around the newly renovated Bahay Kalinga on Thursday (Oct. 29, 2026). The DMW said Friday (Oct. 30) the facility provides temporary shelter and assistance to distressed overseas Filipino workers while their cases are being addressed. (PNA)