800 Filipinos deported from Malaysia arrive in PH

Eight hundred Filipino deportees from Malaysia have returned to the Philippines and have received immediate government assistance upon their arrival in Zamboanga City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field office in Zamboanga Peninsula said Saturday.

In a statement, the DSWD Field Office IX, through its Processing Center for Displaced Persons (PCDP), provided aid to the Filipinos after docking at the Zamboanga Port at about 8 p.m. Friday.

The returning Filipinos were from three detention centers in Sandakan, Papar, and Tawau in Malaysia.

They belong to the second batch of deportees received this year following the resumption of repatriation operations. The first batch arrived in January 2026.

Of the 800 deportees, 589 are men, 89 are women, 64 are male children, and 58 are female children. All of the returning minors are all below 12 years old.

The DSWD regional office said it facilitated the Filipinos' reception and provided immediate assistance, including meals, in coordination with partner agencies.

The receiving activity was spearheaded by the PCDP, together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Philippine Red Cross, Action Against Hunger, City Engineer's Office, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police (PNP), CDRRMO and the City Government of Zamboanga.

Upon the Filipinos' arrival, they were transferred to the PCDP for further processing and assessment to determine their individual needs and the appropriate interventions and assistance.

"DSWD FO IX continues to coordinate with partner agencies to ensure the orderly reception, assessment, and provision of necessary support to returning Filipinos as they prepare to reunite with their families and communities," it said. — VDV, GMA News