Pinoys in India to be repatriated once clearances secured, travel ban lifted — envoy

Filipinos in India will be sent home once the clearances needed are secured and once flights are available, Philippine Ambassador to India Ramon Bagatsing said Monday.

At a Palace briefing, Bagatsing said that for now, it is "logistically difficult" for them to bring home compatriots in India because of the existing travel restrictions imposed for travelers coming from India.

"Even without issuing a travel ban there is a de facto travel ban. If you take a commercial flight  in the areas in other countries, you have to transit and do not allow Indian passengers," said Bagatsing.

"We cannot send them (Filipinos in India) home so we will wait for clearance, and hopefully once these clearances (are) secured and the ban is lifted in other countries and in our country, we can send some of kababayans here (Philippines)," he added.

Bagatsing also noted that around 50 Filipinos in India have asked to be evacuated. India has over 19 million cases of coronavirus disease as per US-based John Hopkins University's data.

"Each number counts, each person counts. If they want to go home we can do anything to do so and we have the assurance of (DFA) Secretary (Teddy Boy) Locsin, at the appropriate time that we can send our kababayans soon," he said.

Bagatsing also reported that 73 Filipinos in India were diagnosed with the severe viral ailment. He added that the embassy, Philcom and Filipino communities there are constantly communicating with the infected Filipinos.

"We have satellite groups for Filipino communities, we have chat groups so the Embassy provides as much support that we can on our own," he said in Filipino.

To date, India reported 218,959 fatalities and more than 16 million recoveries.

The Philippines enforced a ban on Indian travelers from April 29, 2021 to May 14 due to the worsening conditions of the pandemic in India. 

The temporary travel ban also covers Filipinos residing in India. — RSJ, GMA News