DFA Repatriates 348 from UAE, Charters 4 More UAE Flights This July

PASAY CITY 01 July 2021 – The Department of Foreign Affairs is pushing for more chartered flights in order to facilitate the immediate repatriation of distressed overseas Filipinos based in the United Arab Emirates.

The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) tasked its Middle East Desk and its special repatriation unit to continue the big push in the UAE.

“The DFA is particularly looking at the situation in the UAE. We are mounting four (4) chartered flights this July just as we mounted three (3) UAE repatriation flights last June,” stated Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Atty. Sarah Lou Y. Arriola. 

The announcement follows the recent DFA repatriation flight from Dubai with some 348 distressed Filipinos onboard. The chartered PAL flight arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 this morning today. The 348 passengers all tested negative in the RT-PCR conducted 48 hours before the flight.

“The DFA chartered flights from the UAE are already scheduled. The flights are to leave UAE on 12, 17, 26 and 30 July. The July 12 flight is especially for those distressed in the Abu Dhabi region while the rest of the flights are for our distressed kababayan in the Dubai area”, added Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Enrico T. Fos

All repatriates will undergo 14 days stringent facility-based quarantine upon arrival in Manila, in conformity with the country’s health protocols.

"The DFA upholds its sworn duty to help every Filipino in distress anywhere in the world. The men and women of the Department, through its consulates and embassies abroad, will exhaust all efforts and go the distance in order to bring our kababayan safely home”, concluded Undersecretary Arriola.  END