Exodus continues

More workers return to the country

MANILA – Crewmembers of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines returned to the Philippines today through the Department of Foreign Affairs.

In a report released today, the DFA said 345 Filipino repatriates arrived at Clark International Airport on board a Philippine Airlines flight PR 8117. The repatriates patiently waited for the chartered flight while their ships docked in Barbados.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID)’s one-stop shop at the Clark International Airport attended to the repatriates requirements.

They underwent proper documentation protectors and underwent testing and briefing on safety protocols. They will be temporarily housed at the Bureau of Quarantine-approved facilities for mandatory quarantine while waiting or the results of their tests.

It will be recalled Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, in a meeting presided by President Rodrigo Duterte Thursday night and aired Friday morning said the government should regulate the return of overseas Filipino workers due to the pressure it applies to testing and quarantine facilities. He was quoted saying the workers’ arrival should be regulated and gradually increased should the government upgrades its facilities to attend to the growing number of affected Filipino migrant workers. (Melo M. Acuña)

DFA personnel welcome and assist returning Filipinos from Barbados. (DFA Photos)