The Philippine government on Sunday repatriated a total of 106 Philippine nationals from Palau onboard AirAsia flight Z2 8602, which arrived in Manila on Sunday at 13:53 (local time).
The special recovery flight was organized by the Philippine Consulate in Koror, Palau in response to the request of several Overseas Filipino Workers to be brought home after weeks of being stranded.
Most of the OFWs on the flight have been displaced from tourism and construction industry and needed to return home to their families.
“We are thankful to our partners for being quick to organize this recovery flight. It is our responsibility to safely bring our fellow Filipinos home, and we will stay committed in assisting them in their needs especially in this time of crisis”, said Philippine Honorary Consul in Koror Eric Ksau Whipps.
This special recovery flight was mounted in coordination with Surangel’s Worldwide Travel Corporation and AirAsia Philippines.
Upon arrival, passengers underwent thorough briefing on current health protocols, including COVID-19 testing and quarantine procedures for arriving international passengers.
They will be temporarily housed in an approved facility for mandatory quarantine while they await the results of their test. The DFA facilitates safe and successful repatriation operations via a whole-of-government approach to ensure overseas Filipinos are out of harm’s way.
Such are done through coordination with concerned government agencies, including the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine, Department of LaborOverseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, Department of Transportation-Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Justice-Bureau of Immigration, Department of Tourism, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Manila International Airport Authority, and the Philippine National Police.
The DFA continues to provide assistance to stranded overseas Filipinos who wish to come home given the COVID-19 pandemic. Palau is an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. There are approximately 5,000 Filipinos in Palau making up over 25% of its population.