DFA Repatriated 69477 Filipino Seafarers In 7 Months

The Philippine government has repatriated a total of 204,481 overseas Filipinos that are mainly sea-based and land-based workers from all over the world, after almost 7 months since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in February this year.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a report on Sunday that out of those repatriated a total of 135,004 (66.02%) are land-based Filipinos whereas 69,477 (33.98%) are sea-based.

In September alone, the government repatriated 41,892 overseas Filipinos, most of whom came from the Middle East. The overall regional breakdown goes like this: 3,666 (8.8%) from the Americas; 4,226 (10.1%) from Asia and the Pacific; 149 (0.3%) from Africa; 2,634 (6.3%) from Europe; and finally 31,217 (74.5%) from the Middle East.

Representation Image – Credits: Raul Macapinlac / philippine-embassy.org.sg

The government brought 16 stranded seafarers from Xiamen, China home before the end of September, these seafarers spent almost six months quarantined on board their vessels.

A Philippine team flew to Lebanon, last month, on a goodwill mission they brought 5,000 boxes of relief goods and distributed to the Filipino community. 2 Lebanese non-government organisations and two hospitals were donated medical supplies, in the aftermath of the deadly twin explosions last August 4.

317 OFWs were also brought home by the return flight of the team, most of whom were household service workers affected by the economic crisis in Lebanon.

Reference: mb.com.ph

Source: Maritime Shipping News