Press Release
PR No. ETA-78-2021
PH GOV’T REPATRIATES ANOTHER BATCH OF FILIPINOS IN K.S.A
JEDDAH, 23 December 2021–– The Philippine government, through the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah (Jeddah PCG) and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, repatriated 179 distressed Filipinos in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 23 December 2021 via a Philippine Airlines (PAL) chartered flight.
Of the total passengers, four (4) are minors, including one (1) infant, two (2) are pregnant women, one (1)isa medical case, and the rest aredistressedFilipinos in Saudi Arabia. Many of the repatriates have been economically displaced as an aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Filipino repatriates checking-in for their flight at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
The PAL chartered flight departed from Jeddah, KSA at around 8:00 P.M. and will fly to Dubai, UAE to pick up distressed Filipinos from Europe, particularly those in European countries classified as COVID-19 “red” and “yellow” zones. From Dubai, the chartered flight is expected to land in the Philippines on 24 December at 12:55 P.M.
Filipino repatriates from Saudi Arabia first assembled at the Jeddah PCG grounds before they were transported to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah by Jeddah PCG personnel.
Filipino repatriates boarding the service buses provided by Jeddah PCG as they head their way to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah
Consul General Edgar Tomas Q. Auxilian, in his message to the Filipino repatriates from Saudi Arabia,said that the continuousrepatriation of distressed OFWs in Saudi Arabia is part of the Philippine government’s strong commitment to bring home overseas Filipinos especially those who have been affected by the economic crisis experienced around the world because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Consul General Auxilian assured the repatriates that the Philippine government is doing its best to safely bring back home distressed overseas Filipinos who have lost their jobs in their host countries, or those who no longer have the means to return to the Philippines for good.
Consul General Edgar Tomas Auxilian (standing, 2nd from left) briefs the repatriates before their flight. All the repatriates were ferried from the Consulate to the King Abdulaziz International Airport by buses rented by Jeddah PCG and Riyadh PE. With him are other Jeddah PCG officers(standing, from left to right) Vice-Consul Lemuel C. Lopez, Vice-Consul Kristal Mary Padon-Rabanal, and Vice-Consul Alfred Kristoffer A. Guiang
The Filipino repatriates are so grateful for the efforts extended by the government to bring them home and enjoy Christmas with their families.
In Jeddah alone, the Philippine government has already mounted two (2) repatriation flights this month, the other one held on December 20. Since 2020 when the pandemic struck the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, some 4,000 distressed Filipinos in Jeddah and the Western Region of Saudi Arabia have been successfully brought home to the Philippines through chartered repatriation flights.
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