Ronaldo Z. Concha Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — An ailing elderly Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and a mother and her two children who received financial assistance from fellow OFWs in Jeddah finally left the Kingdom for the Philippines recently. 69-year-old Juan Orap, left Jeddah via a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight while Mina (not her real name) and her children left via Qatar Airways. The two are now with their families in the Philippines, their friends in Jeddah said on Wednesday. Before boarding his flight, Orap thanked the Filipino communities, the Filipino Artiste Migrant Ensemble (FAME), Kaagapay ng Bawat OFW, The Assistance to National Section of the Philippine Consulate General headed by Vice Consul Jim Minglana and Ali Aguam of OWWA. “After years of waiting I will be with my family again and will be able to smell my homeland's fresh air, I am thankful to all, particularly my fellow OFWs who shared their hard-earned money to pay for my penalties. I will never forget you,” Orap said after checking-in his baggage. Mina also thanked the Filipino community. “If not for all of you, I would not have been able to pay my immigration penalties and airfare to my home province in Cotabato,” the teary-eyed Mina said before going to the airport. The Philippine Consulate General urged undocumented OFWs to approach the consulate and return to their country.
