Some 221 distressed overseas Filipinos who were displaced from their workplaces due to the onslaught of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic in the United Arab Emirates have been finally repatriated through the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The overseas Filipinos, including several children and two infants, arrived at the Ninoy Aquino Airport (NAIA) via Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR 0659 on September 25, 2020.
According to the DFA, the distressed Filipinos availed themselves of the repatriation assistance of the Philippine government after finding themselves in distress due to the job displacements caused by the pandemic.
Also included were overstaying Filipinos who availed themselves of the ongoing immigration amnesty being offered by the UAE government.
The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai has so far facilitated the repatriation of 2,233 Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates since the pandemic started in that country in February this year.
In Egypt, the Philippine Embassy through its cooperation with the Filipino community, distributed food care packs for 30 Filipinos in Ethiopia.
The recipients included Filipino workers in Ethiopia who experienced a reduction in their salaries and work benefits, senior citizens, and those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The identification of beneficiaries as well as the purchase and distribution of food items were made possible through the Embassy’s close coordination with the Filipino community through its president, Elijah Destacamento.
Ethiopia is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Cairo.