280 Filipinos from North Africa return to PH

MANILA, Philippines — Some 280 Filipinos from North Africa were brought home to the Philippines Monday night, the “largest” and “most complicated” repatriation to be carried out by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) from the region since the conflict that broke out in Libya in 2014.

According to the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli, which oversaw the repatriation, the repatriates consisted of 227 Filipinos from Algeria, 39 from Libya, and 14 from Tunisia.

Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elmer Cato said the repatriation, which was the result of the collaboration between the embassy and employers, took nearly two months to execute as it involved coordination with employers and authorities in three countries.

On Sunday, a Philippine Airlines special flight landed in Algeria’s capital to pick up the over 200 Filipino construction workers. It then proceeded to Tunis to pick up Filipinos from Libya and Tunisia.

A four-month old baby, five government personnel, and the remains of two hospital workers, who passed away due to non-coronavirus-related complications, were among those repatriated from Libya, the embassy said.

The 280 Filipinos arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Tunis Monday evening.

The DFA has so far recorded 8,301 COVID-19 cases among overseas Filipinos across 53 countries.

Of the number, 2,740 remain under treatment while 5,055 have recovered. There are 506 fatalities reported so far, according to the DFA.

Filipino repatriates from North Africa. Photo courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs

JPV