7,880 Filipinos abroad repatriated as of Nov 2022, Palace says citing DFA report

Department of Foreign Affairs. (Photo from the DFA Facebook account)

MANILA, Philippines — More than 7,500 Filipinos overseas were repatriated this year in an effort to ensure their welfare and safety, Malacañang said Monday, citing the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

This, according to the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS),  is part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to boost government response to the needs of Filipinos abroad.

Citing the accomplishment report of the DFA, the OPS said a total of 7,880 overseas Filipinos were repatriated from January to November 2022.

Of the number, 57.67% were from the Middle East with 942 from Kuwait, including distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and 70 from Sri Lanka in South Asia.

On the delivery of consular services, OPS said the DFA issued a total of 3,589,620 passports from January to October 2022 and opened an additional six temporary off-site passport services facilities.

As of last month, the DFA has issued 55,574 visas and 551,635 Apostille certificates.

Still citing the DFA’s accomplishment report for 2022, the OPS  noted that bilateral agreements were signed on defense, culture, counterterrorism, trade and investment, technology and data protection, and migrant workers protection under the Marcos administration this year.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  earlier said that  coordination between the DFA and the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) would be further strengthened in a bid to provide assistance to Filipinos aborad.

“Lalo nating paiigtingin ang tambalang ito upang makapagbigay nang mabilis at karampatang serbisyo at tulong sa mga overseas Filipinos na nangangailangan ng tulong,” the President said in a speech in Cambodia.

(We will intensify this partnership so that we can give prompt and appropriate service and help to overseas Filipinos who need help.)

In his official trips abroad, Marcos had described OFWs as the pride of the Philippines who “bring honor to the Filipino nation.”

READ: Marcos goal: Working abroad a choice, not need

Marcos likewise recognized the valuable contribution of OFWs, especially during the time when the country’s economy was dampened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You provided a much-needed boost to the pandemic-stricken economy… nakakapagpondo tayo ng mga social programs na tumutulong sa mga mahihirap at saka ‘yung pinaka nangangailangan ng tulong na pamilya sa Pilipinas,” the President earlier said in a speech in Phnom Penh.

READ: In US visit, Marcos cites role of OFWs in recovery

KGA