665 Filipinos return from Barbados, UAE

DFA Welcomes Home 665 Filipinos from Barbados and UAE: https://t.co/YWK7n8bmzo

Almost a hundred kilometers away from Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) welcomed 665 overseas Filipinos aboard two separate flights at the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga. pic.twitter.com/XehMLRithc

— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) June 16, 2020

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday welcomed 665 overseas Filipinos (OFs) aboard two separate flights at the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga.

The repatriates arrived via Philippine Airlines Flight PR8117 and Emirates Flight EK2572.

The first flight landed at 11:30 a.m. with 347 seafarers on board from Barbados.

They served as crew of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCCL) ships Harmony of the Seas, Celebrity Equinox, and Serenade of the Seas.

The second flight arrived at 3:45 p.m., bringing home 318 stranded Filipinos from the United Arab Emirates.

In accordance with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 29, the passengers underwent thermal scanning and Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon debarkation before they were transported to their designated quarantine facilities while they wait for the test results.

The repatriation is a joint effort of the Philippine government agencies and the private sector to assist distressed Filipinos affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The DFA has repatriated a total of 1,696 Filipinos on Tuesday, including 1,031 OFs who arrived in Manila.

This brings the total number of repatriates to 45,865 since February 2020.

CRK opened on June 5, 2020 to accommodate more returning OFs while implementing health protocols. (DFA PR)