MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-five Filipinos in Sri Lanka are seeking repatriation amid the economic crisis there, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official said Tuesday.
Included in the 25 Filipinos seeking to return to the Philippines are minors. There are 492 Filipinos in Sri Lanka.
“Nag-reach na rin ‘yung iba sa embahada kasi last May 26, nagtawag na ang DFA sa mga kailangan na magpa-repatriate. So far, meron tayong around 25,” DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said in a Laging Handa public briefing.
(Some Filipinos reached out to the embassy because last May 26, the DFA called on those who want to be repatriated. So far, we have around 25.)
The first batch of repatriation is eyed to be conducted “either this coming weekend or early next week.”
Despite the easing situation there, Arriola said that Filipinos in Sri Lanka are challenged financially as the inflation rate is at 33 percent.
“Although nakikita natin sa television na there are really rallies but meron na pong bahagya na unti-unti nang bumabalik sa normal ‘yung buhay du’n. Meron pa ring mga rallies pero nagiging lesser ‘yung violence,” she said.
(Although we see on television that there are rallies but the situation is slowly going back to normal. There are rallies but there is less violence.)
“Pero ang pinaka-mabigat na challenge sa mga Pilipino — hindi naman tayo sumasali diyan — is ‘yung mataas talaga ‘yung presyo ng bilihin at ang rate ng dollar to the rupee is one dollar to 366 rupees,” added Arriola.
(But the biggest challenge for Filipinos there — since we are not joining rallies — is the high price of commodities and the rate of dollar to the rupee is at one dollar to 366 rupees.)
In April, Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency due to its worst economic crisis, facing scarcity of foreign exchange stalling essential imports.
READ: Sri Lanka declares state of emergency amid unrest over economic woes