Over 569,000 Filipinos abroad repatriated amid pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — More than 569,000 Filipinos abroad have been repatriated as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Monday in his report to President Rodrigo Duterte.

A total of 569,159 Filipino abroad have been repatriated since the start of the pandemic, Lorenzana said.

“These are OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] who came home because they were dismissed from their jobs or they were taking a vacation here,” Lorenzana said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, Lorenzana said 3,132 Filipinos had likewise been brought home from Sabah.

Thousands of Filipinos in Sabah earlier sought government assistance in their repatriation as Malaysia struggled against COVID-19.

Since the repatriation from Sabah began in July 2020, there have been eight trips carrying Filipinos back to Zamboanga in Mindanao, Lorenzana said.

The last trip arrived in May this year carrying nearly 500 Filipinos.

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