A rapid response team will be sent by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to bring assistance to Filipinos in Sri Lanka amid the ongoing economic crisis in the foreign country.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola announced on Tuesday, May 31, that the response team is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 2.
The team will come from the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh to extend the government's response to close to 500 affected Filipinos in the embattled country.
"Medyo naghihirap po (They are having a hard time). So the DFA is going to Sri Lanka to give financial assistance sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan (to our fellowmen who are in need)," Arriola said in a televised press briefing.
She further said that they are planning to provide 300 US dollars of cash assistance to every Filipino adult in Sri Lanka.
A response team from the DFA will also be deployed in Sri Lanka and will arrive by the weekend.
Repatriation
Around 25 Filipinos have already expressed their intention to return to the Philippines, Arriola said.
They are expected to be brought home "either this coming weekend or early nest week."
"Basta desidido sila (As long as they are decided). Importante lang talaga na decided sila (It's important that they are decided), we will get the first available commercial flight to bring them home considering their situation in Sri Lanka," the undersecretary for migrant workers said.
At present, there are 492 Filipinos in Sri Lanka. More than half of them are married to Sri Lankans.
"Konti lang sila pero siyempre nakakaramdam na sila nung effect ng inflation sa Sri Lanka as of now (There are only few Filipinos there but they can already feel the effect of inflation in Sri Lanka)," Arriola said.
Of the 25 Filipinos up for repatriation, nine of them are minors.
Arriola told Filipinos there that as long as they can present a birth certificate of their child and a proof that they are a Filipino citizen, they can be listed for repatriation.
The response team will also help the Honorary Consul in Sri Lanka to get in touch with Filipinos on the ground to check their situation and assist them for repatriation.
"Kung madagdagan po, we will continue buying commercial tickets para maiuwi na sila talaga dito sa Pilipinas dahil medyo nahihirapan na yung mga kababayan natin dahil sa napakataas na presyo ng bilihin (If there are more repatriates, we will continue buying commercial tickets to bring them to the Philippines because they are now suffering from the rising prices of goods)," Arriola said.
Not affected by protests
Arriola said there are no reports of Filipinos being affected by the protests that turned violent in the past weeks.
She also said that the protests have mellowed down and the violence have lessened but the greater challenge for Filipinos there is the surging prices of goods.
"Wala naman tayong nabalitaan na nadamay sa kaguluhan. Nahihirapan talaga sila financially dahil dun sa inflation na nangyayari sa bansa (We did not receive any report of Filipinos affected by the unrest there. Instead they are heavily affected financially due to the inflation in the country)," the DFA official said.
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