Almost 17K OFWs repatriated amid coronavirus pandemic – Guevarra

April 28, 2020

Nearly 17,000 overseas Filipino workers have been repatriated to the Philippines as the world faces the coronavirus disease pandemic, which has displaced many workers in the country and abroad.

In a taped televised meeting of President Rodrigo Duterte with some members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases aired on Monday night, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra reported that from April 1 to 20, there were 16,744 OFWs who have returned to the country.

He said the data were provided to him by the Bureau of Immigration, an attached agency of the Department of Justice.

On the other hand, Guevarra said there were 851 OFWs who left the country during the same period.

More non-OFW Filipinos arrived in the Philippines from April 1 to 20 at 27,062, while those who departed were 4,164, he said.

As to the foreign nationals, he said 914 foreigners arrived in the country during the same period.

The DOJ chief noted that commercial flights continue to operate but on "a very, very limited schedule of arrivals and departures."

The airlines, which continue to arrive and depart in the country's airports are Hong Kong Airlines, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, All Nippon Airways, Royal Brunei, China Airlines, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Air, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, Malaysia Airlines, Etihad, Emirates, Jetstar, and Saudia.

Since Duterte declared a Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine on March 17, only Filipinos, including their children, foreign nationals with Philippine permanent resident visa, diplomats, and foreign crew of aircraft and vessels are allowed to enter the Philippines.

Tourists are banned in the country for the time being.

Tourism Secretary Benadette Romulo-Puyat said foreigners, as a general rule, are not allowed because all issued visas were cancelled as of March 22 and all Visa Waiver Agreements were suspended also since that time.

"Definitely, no tourists are allowed in the count. So those allowed as what Sec. Guevarra has mentioned are foreign spouses and children who are traveling with a Filipino national and foreign government and international organization officials and their dependents. Of course the OFWs. But tourists, zero," she said in the same meeting.

Duterte has further extended the lockdown until May 15 in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon and other "high-risk" areas, such as Cebu City and Davao City due to high number of COVID-19 cases. Celerina Monte/DMS