234 Filipinos from UAE, Bahrain flown home to PH

Over 200 Filipinos from the UAE and Bahrain arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Friday morning. Photo courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs

MANILA, Philippines — Some 234 Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were brought home to the Philippines on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

According to the DFA, the repatriated arrived via a chartered flight from Bahrain’s capital, Manama, to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“The chartered sweeper flight Manila-Dubai-Manama-Manila, funded by the Bayanihan II augmentation of the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Fund, brought home 121 from Dubai, 51 from Abu Dhabi and 62 from Manama,” the DFA said in a statement.

The said batch of repatriates included “special cases in need of immediate repatriation,” the DFA added.

There was one “medical stretcher case,” an amputee, and 23 infants, 14 of whom were from the UAE, while the remaining nine were from Bahrain, the agency said.

A medical Filipino repatriate being carried into an ambulance. Photo courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs

“We at DFA are humbled by this experience. It’s a different feeling altogether. We are grateful that we are given the opportunity to help bring home our kababayans especially at this time when everyone is looking forward to the new year and a new beginning,” said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Arriola, who also shared the repatriation flight from Manama.

Members of the department’s airport team were on hand to help facilitate the arrival and smooth turnover of the special cases to appropriate health providers, according to the DFA.

An ambulance was also on standby to facilitate the transfer to the identified hospital, it added.

“I extend my thanks to our foreign service posts, our people on the ground, members of other agencies and units who worked and are working hard to make this repatriation flight happen,” Arriola said.

“On the side of the DFA, we will continue with our sworn duty and help our government towards national healing and recovery this 2021,” she added.

CFC