No repat requests yet; most OFWs in Sri Lanka still working

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said most of the Filipinos in Sri Lanka continue to work despite the economic crisis that hit the country.

Nevertheless, the agency continues to monitor the situation on the ground and remains ready to repatriate them upon request.

“All parties are monitoring if any Filipino worker in Sri Lanka will request repatriation. So far, both the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka and the Honorary Consulate in Colombo have not received any such request,” it said in a statement dated May 24.

“For now, most of the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) are still able to continue their employment despite the ongoing crisis. Should circumstances necessitate the return to the Philippines of OFWs, this will be coordinated by all concerned agencies, led by the DFA and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment),” it added.

Based on the latest DFA data, there are at least 581 Filipinos in Sri Lanka.

The United Nations said the compounded impact of the coronavirus pandemic, foreign exchange scarcity, rising inflation, and prolonged power cuts have crippled the country’s economy and aggravated an “already dire situation” over access to food and health.

These plunged the South Asian nation into unrest, with violent protests erupting on the streets calling for political and economic reforms.