President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to repatriate three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who perished in a fire in southern Kuwait’s Mangaf area early Wednesday.

“We are working on the return of the three fatalities and we’re in touch – based on the Presidential directive – with all the families of the three fatalities,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday.

Three of the 11 OFWs affected by the fire in a building housing workers for a Kuwaiti construction company died while two others are in critical condition in the hospital.

All six others are all safe and unharmed, according to Cacdac, as they were “far away from the incident.”

He said President Marcos has also ordered DMW to closely coordinate with the families of the two OFWs still at the intensive care unit (ICU) of a Kuwaiti hospital.

“Hopefully, they will recover very soon,” Cacdac said.

“As for the six na safe, we are working for their repatriation. But also, we are giving them the option whether or not they wish to continue work[ing] in Kuwait. Kasi karamihan nung safe ay on duty noong panahon na ‘yun,” he added.

Asked when is the repatriation of the affected OFWs, Cacdac said they have yet to set the timeline, but emphasized it will be done as soon as possible, or this week since the Kuwaiti government works fast in repatriation process.

Cacdac said all forms of assistance were provided by the government to the affected OFWs upon the directive of the President, including financial assistance from the DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Kuwaiti government and their employers. |PND