DUBAI, UAE-— A total of 370 overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from the UAE have arrived safely in Manila, on Monday, June 15. They were the first batch of OFWs that have returned home on a government-sponsored chartered repatriation flight from the emirates.
The passengers, mostly workers who lost their jobs after numerous companies have closed down as the COVID-19 pandemic caused a downturn to UAE’s economy, have been booked for a flight from Dubai to Manila on 10 pm Cebu Pacific flight no. 5J19.
Other passengers on the same flight were Filipinos who were on job seekers visa or tourist visa who have overstayed after failing to land on jobs in the emirates.
Philippine Consul General in Dubai Paul Raymund Cortes said the repatriation proceedings for all the passengers have started on Sunday night (June 14) at 7 pm at the Dubai International Airport terminal 2.
About 80% of the 382 passengers were from Dubai and the rest were from Abu Dhabi, said Mr. Cortes, adding that the repatriation cost is part of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs’ PHP1billion (US$20million) global annual budget for the assistance of Filipino migrant workers.
The Philippine government has so far repatriated a total of 55,859 Filipino migrants who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the different parts of the world. -Henri Abenis-Macahilo/UAE News Bureau
