Photo courtesy: DSWD Field Office IX-Zamboanga Peninsula
ZAMBOANGA CITY (January 18) — Hundreds of Filipinos returning from Sabah arrived at the Zamboanga port before dawn Saturday, with government agencies mobilizing assistance as the city once again served as the country’s main entry point for returnees from eastern Malaysia.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development – Zamboanga Peninsula (DSWD-9), along with partner agencies, provided immediate aid to 844 returnees, including meals and essential items, shortly after their arrival around 3 a.m. aboard a commercial vessel from Sandakan City.
DSWD-9 Director Riduan Hadjimuddin said the group was composed of 518 adult males, 210 adult females, and 116 children, reflecting the continued return of family groups as well as solo workers.
The returnees were temporarily housed at the DSWD Processing Center for Displaced Persons in Barangay Talon-Talon, where they will undergo profiling and assessment while travel arrangements to their hometowns are finalized.
Most of the returnees are from Tawi-Tawi, a province with deep historical, economic and family ties to Sabah, while others came from nearby areas in the Zamboanga Peninsula and Mindanao.
Local officials said Zamboanga City has long functioned as the primary transit hub for Filipinos returning from Sabah, particularly undocumented or distressed workers, making sustained coordination among port authorities, social workers and local governments critical.
DSWD-9 said this batch marks the first group of returning Filipinos assisted this year, with more arrivals expected in the coming months.
