To date, 31,528 Overseas Filipinos (OFs) have been repatriated by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) since beginning the call to bring home Filipinos impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in February 2020.
Of this number, 65.5% (20,635 OFs) are sea-based and 34.5% (10,893 OFs) are land-based, with the most recent repatriates arriving from France on this last day of the modified ECQ in Metro Manila.
For the month of May 2020 alone, a total of 7,794 Filipino repatriates returned home. The DFA brought home 21, 519 in April.
The DFA’s repatriation efforts slowed down in May due to NAIA’s airport temporary closure and subsequent reduction of commercial and charter flights to allow some 24,000 Metro Manila stranded OFWs to return to their provinces.
Likewise, the month of May saw five chartered flights mounted by DFA which brought home distressed OFWs and stranded Filipinos from Thailand, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Timor-Leste.
The successful repatriations of OFs are joint efforts of the DFA and the Embassies and Consulates General around the world. Among the repatriation-related assistance provided to OFs are payment of airfares, particularly for undocumented overseas Filipinos, chartering of flights, settlement of immigration penalties and related charges, particularly exit visas, and securing of landing clearances for flights in the Philippines.
The DFA and partner agencies continue to deliver assistance to overseas Filipinos in need as the country moves towards jumpstarting its economy without triggering a new possible wave of COVID-19 infection through the implementation of General Community Quarantine next week.
OFs who wish to be repatriated are requested to signify their interest to the nearest Embassies or Consulates General in their area.
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