447 Pinoys from UK, Thailand repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Department of Foreign Affairs said 447 Filipinos from the United Kingdom and Thailand were repatriated on Friday afternoon and were welcomed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The OFWs—262 seafarers from the UK and 185 land-based Filipinos from Thailand—arrived on separate flights.

The seafarers who worked on board the Marella Explorer cruise ship based in London arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 aboard TUI Airways Flight 969 at 3 p.m.

The DFA warmly greeted 262 Filipino seafarers from Marella Explorer from London, UK this afternoon. This repatriation was made possible through the “whole-of-nation” approach espoused by the DFA and its partner agencies. pic.twitter.com/TcOvdKey04

— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) April 24, 2020

Those from Thailand, on the other hand, were flown in to Manila on Air Asia Flight Z28286 and arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 at 4:35 p.m.

The DFA said the Thailand repatriates consisted of 179 adults and six infants. Many of the adults who were working in the hospitality and education industries lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 situation.

(1/1) The DFA, through the PH Embassy in Bangkok, chartered a special AirAsia flight to bring home 185 Overseas Filipinos from Thailand this afternoon. The special Bangkok-Manila flight was the third DFA-organized repatriation from Southeast Asia. pic.twitter.com/HXBVxMMyIP

— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) April 24, 2020

The returning overseas Filipino workers were to undergo rapid screening for COVID-19 and a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a facility.

The other Filipinos who were not overseas workers were told to follow home quarantine procedures.

On Friday morning, the DFA said the total number of Filipinos forced to go back home to the Philippines by the COVID-19 pandemic reached 19,407. 

DFA Undersecretary Brigido "Dodo" Dulay said distressed Filipinos from Sydney, Chicago and Los Angeles were also repatriated on Friday and were welcomed at the airport.

Aside from the @DFAPHL-chartered flight from Thailand ????????, our Posts in London ???????? Sydney ???????? Chicago & Los Angeles ???????? repatriated 684 distressed OFWs on 4 other flights to NAIA, where they were met & assisted by our @DFAPHL frontliners. That’s a wrap. For today. @teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/LQJ7tSE119

— Dodo Dulay (@dododulay) April 24, 2020

The DFA said it is working with government agencies to ensure distressed Filipinos return to the country safely while putting a premium on public health. KG, GMA News

Photo: DFA-OUMWA