MANILA, Philippines – The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) repatriated due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has reached more than 174,000, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
In a statement on Sunday, the DFA said it brought home 9,671 OFWs last week, bringing the total to 174,039 since it began its repatriation efforts in February 2020.
Of the total number, 61,716 are sea-based workers while 112,323 are land-based, the agency added.
“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,” it said.
The department said 11 of these flights were from the United Arab Emirates, seven from Saudi Arabia, four form Qatar, three from Bahrain, and one each from Kuwait and Oman.
“The return of Filipino seafarers also continues as the DFA facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,800 sea-based workers, including a Filipino fisherman who drifted to the waters of Central Sulawesi in April 2020,” it said.
The DFA added that it also extended assistance to “a cancer patient who finally arrived home in Manila on board a special commercial repatriation flight from Thailand last Wednesday.”
In a separate statement on Sunday, the department said the patient was among the 76 Filipinos brought home from Thailand on 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,” it said.
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