DFA Welcomes Home 665 Filipinos from Barbados and UAE

PASAY CITY 16 June 2020 — Almost a hundred kilometers away from Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed 665 overseas Filipinos aboard two separate flights at the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga.

The repatriates arrived via Philippine Airlines Flight PR8117 and Emirates Flight EK2572. The first flight landed at 1130H and carried 347 seafarers from Barbados. They served as crew of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) ships Harmony of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, and Serenade of the Seas. The second flight at 1545H brought home 318 stranded Filipinos from United Arab Emirates.

In accordance with the IATF-EID Resolution No. 29, the passengers underwent thermal scanning and RT-PCR testing upon debarcation before they were transported to designated quarantine facilities while they await for the results. The repatriation is a joint effort of the Philippine government agencies and the private sector to assist distressed Filipinos affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DFA has repatriated 1,696 Filipinos today, 665 in Clark and 1,031 arrived in Manila. This brings the total number of repatriates to 45,865 since February 2020. CRK opened on 05 June 2020 to accommodate more returning kababayans while implementing health protocols. END

(Photos by DFA-OUMWA)