The Department of Foreign Affairs has recently repatriated 374 stranded overseas Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, August 3.
This was the ninth repatriation flight from the UAE chartered by the Philippine government.
In a statement, the DFA said that the arrival brought the number of repatriated Filipinos from the UAE to 3,724.
RELATED STORY: Filipinos with expired visas fill 5 out of 10 seats on repatriation flights from UAE
“We recognize the efforts of the men and women in our Posts overseas and at the Home Office, as we see in the increased number of the total number of Filipinos repatriated in July. We also recognize the assistance of other government agencies who work closely with us in this repatriation process,” DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said.
“While the DFA continues to mount more flights in the coming months, we also recognize the importance of special commercial repatriation of Bayanihan flights, as we call them, which will really supplement the repatriation efforts. We expect to bring home most stranded Filipinos from the UAE by the end of August,” she added.
The DFA official said that all repatriates will receive $200 cash assistance from the government.
READ ON: 10 repatriated OFWs from Dubai, Dhaka test positive for COVID-19
Some OFW groups have been appealing to the government for more aid due to the COVID-19 impact.
“Many OFW families need ayuda, as many OFWs have been retrenched from work, have suffered from reductions in work and wages, have been subjected to no work, no pay schemes, have run out of savings, among other ordeals caused and worsened by the pandemic,” Migrante International said in a statement.
Migrante said the number of repatriates was fewer compared to those who really want to come back home.
“Each flight can accommodate only 350 passengers, amounting to less than 30 percent of those who applied,” Migrante said. (TDT)
