287 overseas Filipinos arrive on repatriation flight from Qatar

MANILA – The second repatriation flight from Qatar organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for August 2021 landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday, bringing home 287 overseas Filipinos, including four pregnant women.

Philippine Embassy in Doha (file photo)

The DFA, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA) and the Philippine Embassy in Doha led the repatriation efforts.

“We understand that the current pandemic has altered the circumstances of overseas Filipinos. Through these DFA-sponsored flights, we guarantee our commitment to protect their welfare and well-being,” Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola said in a news release on Wednesday.

Apart from repatriations, the DFA also continues to pursue President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s legacy policies related to the Global Compact on Migration (GCM), and push for reforms against the “Kafala” or sponsorship system for migrant workers.

“With substantial inroads on labor mobility, decent work and ethical recruitment, we hope to see results of GCM as “Kafala” reforms lead to better working conditions and improved welfare for our migrants, particularly in the Middle East countries notably in Bahrain, Qatar, and in KSA,” Arriola said.

The repatriates underwent the appropriate medical protocols as required by the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine upon arrival.

They were also required to undergo quarantine in accordance with the omnibus guidelines established by the Inter-Agency Task Force. (PR)