DFA Brings Home over 8,000 Overseas Filipinos This Week, Crosses the 153K-Mark

PASAY CITY 29 August 2020 — A few days before the end of August, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) crossed the 153K-mark in the number of repatriated overseas Filipinos (OFs) after bringing home an additional 8,329 OFs this week.

Of the total 153,124 repatriates, 57,595 OFs (37.6%) are sea-based while 95,529 (62.4%) are land-based.

While commercial flights from various countries remain limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DFA was able to facilitate 39 special commercial repatriation flights from the Middle East, Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. The DFA was also successful in bringing home our overseas Filipinos from countries where there are currently no direct flights to the Philippines such as Kenya, Peru, Israel, Russia, Turks & Caicos, Iraq, and Egypt.

This long weekend, the Department will welcome three DFA-chartered flights that will arrive from Doha, Qatar; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. These flights will bring home more than 1,000 of our distressed overseas Filipinos.

The DFA tirelessly works to facilitate more repatriation flights in September through close coordination with its Foreign Service Posts as well as with its partner government agencies in the country. OFs who wish to seek repatriation assistance are advised to contact the nearest embassy or consulate in their area. END