The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has repatriated over 174,000 overseas Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DFA last week repatriated 9,671 Filipinos from various regions around the world, bringing the total number of repatriated Filipinos to 174,039 since February 2020.
“The DFA remains relentless in facilitating more flights, particularly from the Middle East. This week, the DFA brought home more than 7,500 of our nationals from the said region via 27 special commercial repatriation flights,” the department said in a statement.
The department said 11 of these arrived from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seven from Saudi Arabia, four from Qatar, three from Bahrain, and one each from Kuwait and Oman.
The DFA said it facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,800 Filipino seafarers, including a Filipino fisherman who drifted in the waters of Central Sulawesi in April 2020.
The department said it also assisted a Filipino cancer patient who arrived in Manila from Thailand last Wednesday.
“The DFA, together with its Philippine embassies, consulates and attached agencies around the world, remains fully committed to bringing home our nationals abroad amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” the department added.