MANILA, Philippines — The government will bring home this month 7,060 Filipinos who have been stranded abroad due to the pandemic, a senior official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.
Sarah Lou Arriola, foreign undersecretary for migrant workers affairs, said 4,260 would take DFA chartered flights while 2,800 would be brought home on “bayanihan” flights or mercy flights mounted by private airlines.
Arriola said the repatriation was encountering delays due to restrictions such as the 2,000 daily passenger cap imposed on incoming flights.
Arriola said testing procedures would also be enforced to make sure no infected inbound passenger will get through.
Arriola said the DFA would prioritize for repatriation the “most vulnerable” individuals such as those with medical condition, parents and families with young children, pregnant women, distressed workers, those released from prison and those whose contracts and visas have expired.