Over 200 Pinoys asked to be repatriated from Irma-hit Caribbean

Over 200 Filipinos in several islands in Caribbean that were devastated by Hurricane Irma have asked to be repatriated, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

"There are now as many as 236 of our kababayans from various parts of the Caribbean who have asked to be repatriated," DFA Secretary Cayetano said. "We assure then that we will bring all of them home."

Citing the latest report from the Philippine Embassy in the US, Cayetano said from 160 to 180 Filipinos are waiting to be repatriated from the British Virgin Islands, 20 from Anguilla, and another 36 from St. Martin.

A Filipino was also reported hurt in Turks and Caicos after he fell while clearing debris at his workplace during the aftermath of the hurricane, the DFA said.

The Philippine Embassy in the US has already sent response teams to the British Virgin Islands as well as to the US Virgin Islands to assist the Filipino victims of Hurricane Irma, which is considered one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record.

Irma ravaged several islands in the northern Caribbean, killing at least 43 people. It barreled into the Florida Keys where 90 percent of homes are believed to be demolished or heavily damaged.

Secretary Cayetano said the Embassy, which is overseeing the repatriation effort, is currently planning to charter aircraft to transport the stranded Filipinos to Manila.

"We hope that all the logistical and administrative requirements would be arranged soon so we could start repatriating our kababayans by Monday," he said.

According to Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Patrick Chuasoto, a two-member team dispatched from Washington is now in Tortola, the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands, to make arrangements for the repatriation.

The team has also started to distribute food vouchers to members of the Filipino community there.

The Secretary said a second response team is en route to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands to bring relief supplies to a group of Filipino teachers there who have requested the embassy for assistance.

He said another team is on standby for deployment to Anguilla where they will assist in the repatriation of 20 Filipinos affected by the hurricane there.

The embassy is also coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in The Hague for the repatriation of 36 Filipinos from Saint Martin, and is monitoring the condition of the injured Filipino in Turks and Caicos.

In Florida, Cayetano said members of the Filipino Community in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale were spared from Hurricane Irma's wrath.

There were also no reports of any Filipino casualties in Georgia, which was also affected by the hurricane. —KBK, GMA News