Future repatriation plans will be ‘seamless’ – Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is confident that future repatriation plans for Filipinos abroad will become seamless just like the government’s evacuation of Filipinos from Wuhan, the city China where the outbreak of the COVID-19 started.

“The Office of the President is confident that the succeeding repatriation efforts will be seamless and will have a similar outcome as we assure that the safety of Filipinos here and abroad remains to be the paramount concern of the government,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement on Saturday.

The Palace official made the statement after 30 Filipino repatriates from Wuhan earlier returned to their provinces following the end of their 14-day mandatory quarantine in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac province.

The repatriates, who arrived in the Philippines on Feb. 9, were all asymptomatic, or showing no symptoms related to the COVID-19, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

Panelo also acknowledged the DOH and the Department of Foreign Affairs for assisting Filipinos from Wuhan, which is at the center of the coronavirus disease.

“We commend the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health, together with the 10-man Health Emergency Response Team from both agencies, for their heroic efforts to bring back the first batch of repatriates from the epicenter of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” he said.

Panelo also thanked the local government and residents of Capas, Tarlac for allowing the repatriated Filipinos in staying at the quarantine facility in Athlete’s Village in New Clark City.

/atm