Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines
DFA Brings Home 278 Distressed Filipinos from Qatar: https://bit.ly/2Zp12w0
On the fourth day of the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine in Manila, the Depar...tment of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed 278 distressed overseas Filipinos from Qatar. They arrived around 1000H at NAIA Terminal 1 aboard Philippine Airlines Flight PR685.
The flight was funded by the Assistance-To-Nationals Fund of the DFA and the first to be mounted in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Doha.
The repatriates underwent thermal scanning and RT-PCR testing before they were transported to the designated hotels for facility quarantine. The One-Stop Shop at the airport is a joint initiative of multiple government agencies to expedite the repatriation of Filipinos while ensuring the safety and health of the public. Among the DFA's major partners are the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Quarantine, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
The DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs has been active in the repatriation efforts since the COVID-19 outbreak worldwide. According to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, "We are working around the clock because the distressed Filipinos depend on our services."
To date the DFA has repatriated more than 28,589 Filipinos because of the global health crisis. END