Stranded Filipinos in Australia Returns to PH

Stranded Filipinos avail of Philippine Airlines special flight on 19 April 2020 at Melbourne International Airport. (Melbourne PCG photo)

AUSTRALIA 20 April 2020 – Almost 500 Filipinos departed Australia this weekend to return home to the Philippines through Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) special flights.

On 19 April 2020, 255 stranded Filipino tourists, land-based overseas Filipino workers, and returning students were departed from major Australian cities, namely, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

MV Artania carrying 243 Filipino crew has also departed from Fremantle, Western Australia on 18 April 2020 headed to a port in Manila where Filipino crew can disembark.

“It was a team effort by of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and Consulates General in Sydney and Melbourne and our Labor Office. I express our appreciation to the Australian Federal Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, State Governments and local officials from the Department of Health and Australian Border Force for their extensive support in coordinating these simultaneous departures over the weekend,” said Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega.

Philippine Consul General to Sydney Ezzedin Tago and Acting Consul General to Melbourne Anthony Mandap were at the airport to send off the Filipino passengers.

The Australian Embassy in Manila and PAL organized the flights from the Philippines that made possible the assisted departures from Australia, enabling Filipinos to return home and be with their families.

The Philippine Embassy understands that there may be many more Filipinos in Australia in need of assistance as we continue to face many challenges caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Filipino Community is advised to regularly visit the Philippine Embassy website (www.philembassy.org.au) for further advisories on the Embassy’s ongoing assistance to its nationals. END

For more information, visit https://www.philembassy.org.au or https://www.facebook.com/PHinAustralia/.