33 OFWs repatriated from Indonesia

A DFA employee guides OFWs from Indonesia at NAIA Terminal 1 on Sunday, April 12, 2020. Photo: DFA-OUMWA

Thirty-three OFWs arrived back in the Philippines on Easter Sunday, bringing the number of Filipinos repatriated since February to 12,144, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

In a statement on Sunday, the DFA said that the 33 Filipinos—23 of whom worked for Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. in West Papua and the other 10 for DASH Engineering Philippines Inc. in Java—resigned from their jobs to return home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The end of Easter Sunday marked the 13th straight day of the DFA’s repatriation efforts to bring home our distressed kababayans. To date, the DFA has repatriated 9,136 seafarers and 3,008 land-based OFWs," said the department, adding that the repatriations will continue in the coming days.

On Easter Sunday morning, 290 seafarers from Miami arrived in Manila on a chartered flight, the DFA said.

The seafarers were from Oceania Cruises MS Sirena, Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady, Norwegian Encore and Norwegian Dawn.

"They will be subjected to 14-day home quarantine at their respective homes. Those who reside outside Metro Manila will be billeted in predetermined hotels approved by the DOH," the DFA said. — BM/KG, GMA News