Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque appeals for patience from overseas Filipino workers in seven countries including UAE due to the extended travel ban.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the extension of the ban to UAE, Oman, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka until July 15.
Roque appeals for understanding as all these parts of its proactive efforts to prevent the spread of the Delta variant.
“Again, alam ko pong napakahirap para sa mga OFWs na stranded ngayon sa mga lugar kung saan mayroon tayong travel ban,” Roque said.
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Malacanang said that the decision was to protect not only the OFWs but their loved ones here in the Philippines.
“Pero hinihingi po namin ang inyong pasensiya at pag-intindi dahil ito naman po ay isang napatunayan nang paraan para mapigilan po ang pagpasok ng mas nakamamatay at mas nakakahawang Delta variant at Delta Plus variant na pupuwede pong magdulot ng kamatayan o ‘di naman kaya pagkakasakit hindi lang sa inyo kung hindi sa inyong mga mahal sa buhay dito po sa Pilipinas,” he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs reported that some 1,920 overseas Filipinos became part of the government repatriation from the United Arab Emirates for the month of June.
The DFA said that the figure includes the 347 distressed overseas Filipinos leaving Dubai tomorrow, June 30.
This is the third chartered flight this month specially mounted by the DFA for Filipinos in UAE.
They are all required to undergo RT-PCR test 48 hours before the flight.
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“The Duterte government continues to help our Kababayans who are stranded or distressed in the UAE. We have and we will continue mounting chartered flights until we have successfully repatriated those in need,” DFA m Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said in a statement.
The first batch of flights from UAE brought home 364 OFWs, while the second batch brought home 322.
The DFA also expressed its appreciation of the efforts Local Manning Agencies (LMAs) in helping organize the repatriation of sea-based workers.
As of June 28, the manning agencies were able to brought home 886 seafarers.
“We wish to assure our distressed Kababayans in the UAE that we are not only firming up plans but executing these plans accordingly to bring them home the soonest possible in accordance with the instructions of the President,” Arriola said.
The DFA will charter another flight with 350 passengers on July 17. Another flight will be mounted by the LMA on the 5th, while OWWA will mount another flight on July 10.
“We will have more flights in the coming days,” Arriola said. (TDT)
