PH Embassy in Jordan, MWO Repatriate Second Batch of Non-Marital Children
Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo C. Santos (center, with glasses), Second Secretary and Consul Angeli A. Payumo (center, wearing pink), and Labor Attaché Armi Evangel N. Peña (center, wearing maroon) with Philippine Embassy and MWO Staff during the repatriation of the second batch of 13 non-marital children with their parents at the Queen Alia International Airport on 24 November 2023. (Amman PE Photo)
AMMAN 28 November 2023 – The second batch of 14 Filipino non-marital children with their parents are finally coming home. The children departed from Jordan on Friday afternoon of November 24, and will arrive in Manila the following day. The repatriation was made possible through the collaboration of the Philippine Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Jordan.
After almost a decade of continued discussion and appeal to the Jordanian Government, the Philippine Embassy successfully secured an exceptional concession on 10 August 2023, paving the way for the repatriation of non-marital children and the waiving of their overstay penalties.
The said children were previously barred from being repatriated to the Philippines in the absence of a Jordanian birth certificate, a requirement for them to travel outside Jordan.
Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo C. Santos stated that “this repatriation is a testament to the cooperation between our two countries to resolve matters that affect the interests of our Filipino nationals in Jordan.” Furthermore, the collaborative effort proved that through “coordinating closely with our host government, we can get the job done,” he added.
“We reiterate our sincerest thanks to the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their support to this humanitarian undertaking, including working closely with the Philippine Embassy in Amman for the requirements for this effort, which took time and a lot of representations by both sides.” the Ambassador added.
Ambassador Santos also commended the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) team of the Philippine Embassy for their hard work, dedication and commitment in working out the repatriation. The Embassy facilitated the issuance of Philippine civil registration documents and travel documents.
On the other hand, the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Jordan bore the costs of flight tickets, bus transports, and meals prior to their departure of the repatriates.
Joining Ambassador Santos at the Queen Alia International Airport to send off these children were Second Secretary and Consul Angeli A. Payumo, Administrative Officer Mr. John Danilo Jiao, Jr., ATN Officer Francisco Magno, ATN Officer Ma. Jolina Guerrero, ATN Officer/Translator Issa Mofleh, Secretary to the Ambassador Rachel Joy A. Pamorada, and MWO officers headed by Labor Attaché Armi Evangel N. Peña, Assistant Labor Attaché Mr. Jaybee John Vincent Baginda, and MWO Officer-in-Charge Rosalin R. Lavin.
The Philippine Embassy in Jordan continues to lobby hard with the Jordanian authorities and employers to secure exit clearances for the repatriates. The Philippine Embassy encourages the parents of these non-marital children to avail of this opportunity to be repatriated.
The first batch of 13 children were previously repatriated to the Philippines on 07 October 2023. END
Ambassador Santos (2nd from right), along with Consul Payumo (leftmost) and Labor Attaché Peña (rightmost) guiding the repatriates in the airport. (Amman PE Photo)
Ambassador Santos (2nd from right) along with the other staffs guiding the repatriates in the airport. (Amman PE Photo)
For more information, visit www.ammanpe.dfa.gov.ph, www.philembassy-amman.net or https://www.facebook.com/ammanpe.