139 Filipinos from Myanmar arrive in PH

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. welcomes the arrival of 139 Filipinos from Myanmar at the NAIA Terminal 3 on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. Photo courtesy of the DFA

MANILA, Philippines — Some 139 Filipinos in Myanmar arrived in the Philippines Monday through a chartered flight in light of Covid-19 travel restrictions and the political situation in the Southeast Asian country.

Photos and video clips shared by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) showed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. welcoming the repatriated Filipinos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

SFA @teddyboylocsin, Usec Arriola, and DFA team welcome home 139 overseas Filipinos, from Myanmar via a special flight amid the current COVID-19 travel restrictions & recent political situation in the country.#AssistancetoNationals#DFAForgingAhead pic.twitter.com/3FqTVonAYW

— DFA Philippines 🇵🇭 (@DFAPHL) February 15, 2021

According to the DFA, the 139 repatriated Filipinos include 11 dependent children, four dependent parents, two of which are senior citizens.

“The DFA remains steadfast in its #AssistancetoNationals efforts as today’s flight was the second DFA-chartered flight from Yangon, Myanmar, bringing the total number of [overseas Filipinos] repatriated from Myanmar since March 2020 to 509,” the department said.

The DFA remains steadfast in its #AssistancetoNationals efforts as today’s flight was the second DFA-chartered flight from Yangon, Myanmar, bringing the total number of OFs repatriated from Myanmar since March 2020 to 509.#DFAForgingAhead@teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/M7exONPy2E

— DFA Philippines 🇵🇭 (@DFAPHL) February 15, 2021

The repatriation comes following a military power grab in Myanmar. Earlier this month, state forces in Myanmar took over the government and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials.

Thousands took part in protest actions demanding the release of their elected officials.

Based on DFA figures, there are 1,273 Filipinos in Myanmar as of June last year.

Many Filipinos in Myanmar work in the manufacturing industry as supervisors, while some also work for the United Nations agencies and other international organizations there, according to the DFA.

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