The remains of UAE-based OFW Mary Jill Muya have arrived in the Philippines on Janaury 19, 2026. DMW

The remains of Overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Mary Jill Muya arrived in the Philippines on Monday (January 19) and are now being transported to her hometown in Iloilo, weeks after she was found dead in Abu Dhabi. Muya’s remains arrived in Manila, according to Philippine authorities, and is being flown to Iloilo later the same day. Her family had been waiting for weeks to bring her home following her death on December 31 (Wednesday). Muya, 44, was found dead inside her room in Abu Dhabi’s Al Khalidiya area on New Year’s Eve. The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation. In earlier appeals, Muya’s family sought public assistance to help repatriate her remains. The family said they faced difficulties as Muya was undocumented at the time of her death, but their priority was to bring her home to Iloilo for a proper burial. According to her son Jillmar Muya, 27, the family became alarmed after failing to contact his mother during the Christmas period. They were later informed that she had been found dead inside her room. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed that Muya’s remains were repatriated from Dubai to Manila on January 18, as scheduled. The DMW said investigations by UAE authorities are still ongoing. “We are awaiting the results of the police investigation of the UAE authorities,” Cacdac said. Records from the DMW show that Muya had been working in the UAE since 2011. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the DMW said they continue to provide assistance and support to Muya’s family during this difficult time. ICA/Expat Media
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