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A group of 147 stranded Filipino workers returned home this
morning, Jul 6, after toughing it out in Hong Kong for some time due to repeated
flight cancellations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest batch to fly back to the Philippines
Earlier, at least other two batches of stranded workers left
aboard the same Cathay flight after
registering with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, with their plane
tickets being paid for by their employers.
“Today’s repatriation happened at 7 am. 147 left. The next
one will be on 8 July,” Consul General Raly Tejada said in response to an
online query.
“It’s an effort by the PCG in coordination with the
Philippine government to bring home our workers,” Congen Tejada said.
Around 150 more overseas Filipino workers are reportedly booked
for the Wednesday flight.
The workers who departed today were seen off at the Hong Kong International Airport
Consul Saret earlier said 30 of the would-be passengers on
today’s flight had backed out, apparently after Hong Kong Immigration announced
that terminated workers would be allowed a further one month’s extension on
their visas.
The first batch to return home was a group of 80 stranded
workers who flew out on Jun 6. This was followed by a bigger group of 120
workers who left on Jun 9.
The workers had previously booked tickets with either Cathay or Hong Kong Airlines, but were unable to leave because of flight cancellations. Hearing of their plight, the Consulate worked with Cathay in getting a big number to fly together on a confirmed flight to Manila.
On reaching the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, they were met by OWWA staff who helped them get through the mandatory swab testing and transfer to quarantine centers.
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| The stranded Filipinos at Bangkok airport before their flight to Manila (DFA photo) |
The repatriation was facilitated by the Philippine Embassy
in Thailand
The repatriates, who included an infant, several children
and four senior citizens, brought to 966 the number of Filipinos flown home
from Thailand
With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to abrupt cancellations
of scheduled commercial flights, many overseas Filipinos are relying on
chartered repatriation flights to bring them home to their loved ones.
Last weekend, a total of 588 overseas Filipinos from Japan and the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia arrived in Manila
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the returnees flew
home on two separate flights on Saturday. They included 204 tourists, students
and workers stranded across Japan Saudi
Arabia
