Napauwing overseas Filipinos sa bansa sa taong 2020, nasa 327,511 – DFA
Umabot sa <span;>327,511 overseas Filipinos ang napauwi sa repatriation efforts ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sa taong 2020.
Sa nasabing bilang, nasa 231,537 o 70.7 porsyento ang land-based repatriates mula sa 90 bansa at 95,974 o 29.3 porsyento naman ang seafarers mula sa mahigit 150 cruise ships, oil tankers, at iba pang bulk vessels.
Narito ang bilang ng repatriates na nakauwi ng bansa mula sa iba’t ibang rehiyon:
Middle East – 228,893 o 69.89 porsyento
Asia & the Pacific – 36,868 o 11.26 porsyento
Americas – 30,971 o 9.46 porsyento
Europe – 28,909 o 8.83 porsyento
Africa – 1,870 o 0.57 porsyento
Isinagawa ang unang COVID-19 repatriation flight sa Wuhan City, China noong February 9, 2020.
Simula nang magpatupad ng travel ban ang mga bansa noong March 2020, mahigpit na naapektuhan ang tourism industry na nagresulta sa pagsususpinde ng cruise line companies ng kanilang operasyon.
Mula March hanggang June 2020, nagkaroon ng chartered flights sa Europe, North America, at Carribbean.
Noong Abril naman, nag-ayos ng chartered flights ang DFA sa Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Maldives, at Italy para sa libu-libong distressed overseas Filipinos na nawalan ng trabaho.
Maliban dito, nakapagsagawa rin ang kagawaran ng goodwill mission sa Lebanon para ipadala ang 5,000 kahon ng relief goods para sa overseas Filipinos sa Beirut noong Setyembre.
Naitala naman ang pinakamataas na monthly total of repatriated overseas Filipinos sa buwan ng Disyembre.
Nasa 51,770 overseas Filipinos ang nakabalik ng Pilipinas sa kabila ng mga kanselasyon ng ilang flight bilang precautionary measure laban sa bagong COVID-19 strain.
“While these are some of the highlights of the DFA’s repatriation efforts for this year, let us not forget the tireless dedication of our DFA frontliners who facilitated the return and provided airport assistance to hundreds of medical repatriates, victims of trafficking-in-persons, unaccompanied minor children, and senior citizens who were repatriated by the DFA this 2020.” pahayag ni Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola
Dagdag pa nito, “As we start a new year, the DFA remains committed to its assistance-to-nationals mandate and renews its promise to bring home every Filipino who wishes to come home.”
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