252 Pinoys in Myanmar want to go home

MANILA – Some 252 Filipinos in Myanmar want to return home to the Philippines amid the evolving situation in said country after a military coup last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.

The agency is currently finalizing a repatriation flight on Feb. 15 and as of this posting, the Philippine Embassy in Yangon is in the process of getting the confirmation of those who want to return home.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said the DFA would accommodate more Filipinos who would want to return.

“Anyone wants to come home gets a free ride. But would be best if a whole plane full because…well…oh what the heck… come one, come some, come all, come on over; welcome home,” he said in a tweet.

Many Filipinos in Myanmar work in the manufacturing industry as supervisors and a number of them also work for the United Nations and other international organizations, according to the DFA.

DFA data showed there are about 1,273 Filipinos in Myanmar as of June 2020.

Myanmar’s military declared a state of emergency last week and transferred all legislative, executive, and judicial powers to the junta, prompting a series of demonstrations in some parts country demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aside from the political strife, a source at the DFA said the repatriation is also “mainly due to Covid” situation in the country.

Data from the World Health Organization showed that Myanmar has a total of 141,304 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of Feb. 8, about 3,175 of whom have died.