Over 30 Filipinos working in Myanmar are set to be repatriated to the Philippines on June 27, an envoy said Wednesday.
Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Eduardo Kapunan Jr. said several Filipinos have to go home due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in Myanmar.
The envoy clarified that the repatriation was carried out not because of the ongoing unrest but mainly because of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
"Kapag nagra-rally po ang mga tao, wala na pong social distancing so we are expecting that it (cases) would rise (When people go out to protest, social distancing is not observed so we are expecting that it (cases) would rise)," Katipunan said during the Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday.
"Now, there seems to be a spike of COVID-19 in Myanmar. Dahil dito, nawawalan na sila ng trabaho. Kung wala na silang trabaho, the choice is to go home (Because of this they lose their jobs. If they have no jobs, the choice is to go home)," he said.
Of the 1,600 Filipinos working in Myanmar, there are still about 600 left after a series of repatriation flights, Katipunan said.
"Itong mga Pilipinong ito, wala kaming nakikitaan na may problema pa (We don't see any problem with these Filipinos). It means they don't see any much concern about the situation except the rising COVID situation now going on in Myanmar," he said.
The repatriated Filipinos, meanwhile, are still not allowed to go back to Myanmar.
"Hangga't hindi bumababa sa Alert Level 2, hindi puwedeng bumalik ang mga Pilipino sa Myanmar because the threat of COVID is still there (While the alert level is not yet reduced to level 2, Filipinos are not allowed to go back to Myanmar because the threat of COVID is still there)," he said.
On February 24, the Department of Foreign Affairs had raised Alert Level 2 in Myanmar "in view of the developing critical situation" in the country and as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of several Filipinos there.
Under Alert Level 2, only overseas Filipino workers who have existing employment contracts will be allowed to travel to Myanmar.