The Philippine government has reached a total of 5,618 repatriated OFWs from the UAE as of August 24, Tuesday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs added another 357 distressed Filipinos who arrived in the country from Dubai, UAE via a special chartered flight – Philippine Airlines flight PR8659 at 12:12 p.m. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 on August 20, 2021.
This marks the fourth DFA-chartered flight from the UAE for the month of August. It is also the 11th DFA repatriation flight from the UAE since June this year, bringing the total number of DFA repatriation beneficiaries from the GCC country to 5,168 since the start of the pandemic.
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“We wish to assure the public that our desk officers and staff, our special repatriation group covering the flights, and members of our foreign service posts work tirelessly to ensure that Filipinos affected by various travel restrictions throughout the world are given the chance to come home,” said Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola.
Upon arrival, the repatriates were assisted by representatives from the DFA, the Department of Health (DOH), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other members of the One Stop Shop (OSS) team. They were also briefed on the COVID-19 quarantine protocols.
All passengers were tested and yielded negative results in the RT-PCR COVID-19 test at 48 hours prior to their departure from UAE and will undergo stringent facility-based quarantine provided by the Philippine government. This is in conformity with the health protocols set by the DOH- Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) aside from another mandatory RT-PCR Testing for COVID19.
