150 Filipinos in Sri Lanka requested repatriation — DMW’s Ople

Around 150 Filipinos in Sri Lanka have requested repatriation amid the ongoing widespread protests against over the economic crisis in the country, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Thursday.

“We have 700 Filipinos residing or staying in Sri Lanka. Out of this number, around 150 have requested for repatriation,” Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople said at a news conference.

“So we are relying on the DFA for the assistance to be given to the affected workers and they assured me that repatriation arrangements are underway,” she later added.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency as thousands of people mobbed the prime minister's office after the country's president flew to the Maldives.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with his wife and a bodyguard boarded an Antonov-32 military aircraft which took off from the international airport to the Maldives.

Macau

Meanwhile, Ople said the Philippine government is distributing food packs and COVID-19 care packages to overseas Filipino workers affected by the surge of COVID cases in Macau.

On Monday, Macau embarked on a week-long lockdown to curb its cases.

“And ‘yung OWWA naman ay tumutulong din sa pamamagitan ng paghandle ng financial assistance sa ating mga nag positive no, na ating OFWs in the amount of $200 per affected OFW,” Ople said.

(And OWWA will help distribute the financial assistance to positive OFWs, amounting to $200 per affected OFW.)

Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Hans Cacdac said the distribution of the food packs started on Wednesday evening.

“Otherwise, nakabuo na po tayo ng first batch ng mga na distribute kagabi. About, a little less than 100 na distribute na food packs at patuloy lang po ito during the day,” he said.

(Otherwise, we completed our first batch of distribution last night. About a little less than 100 food packs were distributed and continued today.)

Cacdac also announced that there would be a mental wellness webinar on Friday to address the anxieties, apprehensions, and stress of the OFWs in Macau.

Command Center

According to Ople, the government will also launch the One Repatriation Command Center next week.

“Isa na lang ang dudulugan ng mga pamilya ng OFWs… ‘yung shipment of remains, para sa repatriation of stranded, and/ or exploited OFWs. So lahat ‘yan, ipro-process namin ‘yung mga request, we will provide assistance,” she said.

(Families of OFWs will only need to coordinate with one agency… for the shipment of remains, repatriation of stranded, and/ or exploited OFWs. So we will provide assistance for all of these.)

“And kami na mismo ‘yung tatawag sa mga pamilya… kami na ang magbibigay ng updates kung kamusta ang repatriation assistance para sa mga kamaganak nila. ‘Yun ang purpose ng One-Repat command center,” she added.

“(And we will be the ones to call the families and give them updates on the repatriation assistance of their relatives.) — RSJ, GMA News