More Than 200 Filipinos to be Repatriated from Caribbean

13 September 2017 - The Department of Foreign Affairs today said it will be repatriating more than 200 Filipinos from several islands in the Caribbean that were devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano, at the same time, said response teams dispatched by the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC are now on the ground in the British Virgin Islands and are enroute to the US Virgin Islands to assist Filipino victims of Hurricane Irma.

"There are now as many as 236 of our kababayans from various parts of the Caribbean who have asked to be repatriated," Secretary Cayetano said. "We assure then that we will bring all of them home."

Citing the latest report from the Embassy, Secretary Cayetano said from 160 to 180 Filipinos are waiting to be repatriated from the British Virgin Islands, 20 from Anguilla, and another 36 from St. Martin.

Secretary Cayetano said the Embassy, which is overseeing the repatriation effort, is currently planning to charter aircraft to transport the stranded Filipinos to Manila.

"We hope that all the logistical and administrative requirements would be arranged soon so we could start repatriating our kababayans by Monday," Secretary Cayetano said.

The Secretary said he was informed by Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Patrick Chuasoto that the two-member response team dispatched from Washington is now in Tortola to make arrangements for the repatriation. The team has also started to distribute food vouchers to members of the Filipino Community there.

The Secretary said a second response team is en route to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands to bring relief supplies to a group of Filipino teachers there who have requested the Embassy for assistance.

He said another team is on standby for deployment to Anguilla where they will assist in the repatriation of 20 Filipinos affected by the hurricane there.

The Embassy is also coordinating with the Philippine Embassy in The Hague for the repatriation of 36 Filipinos from Saint Martin.

In the Turks and Caicos, the Embassy said it is monitoring the condition of a Filipino who suffered serious injuries after he fell while clearing debris at his workplace.

In Florida, Secretary Cayetano said members of the Filipino Community in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale were spared from Hurricane Irma's wrath.

There were also no reports of any Filipino casualties in Georgia, which was also affected by the hurricane. END