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MANILA, Philippines — Fourteen more “nonmarital” Filipino kids born in Jordan came home for the first time on Saturday as Philippine authorities continued to lobby for their repatriation.
Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos on Saturday thanked the Jordanian government “for its support to this humanitarian undertaking.”
“This repatriation is a testament to the cooperation between our two countries to resolve matters that affect the interests of our Filipino nationals in Jordan,” the envoy said in a statement.
The second round of repatriation followed the maiden batch of 13 children who arrived in Manila on Oct. 6—a result of nearly a decadelong negotiation with Jordanian authorities.
This opened the doors for nonmarital Filipino children who were initially barred from leaving the Middle Eastern country without Jordanian papers. Any overstaying penalties would also be waived because of the repatriation efforts.
The Philippine Embassy in Jordan urged other parents of nonmarital kids to apply for repatriation as it continues to seek their exit clearances from the Jordanian government.