PG Gov’t Repatriate 167 Pinoys from Macau
167 PINOYS – A total of 167 Pinoys repatriated from Macau are set to arrive in Manila on Saturday, March 7.
The novel coronavirus or COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization said the deadly virus continues to spread globally and has infected more than 100,000 people. More than 3000 people have died due to the virus. Most of the victims are from mainland China.
The outbreak is also affecting the global economy. In a previous article, the World Bank announced that they have allotted $12 billion to help the poor countries fight the coronavirus.
A few days ago, the Philippine government has ordered the repatriation of Overseas Filipino Workers in Hong Kong who were dismissed from their jobs due to the virus. Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin took to Twitter to express his disappointment in the incident.
“We’ll prepare for their repatriation pronto. Deeply disgusted with HK which begged us to let domestic workers return to work,” he wrote.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has ordered a temporary travel ban on tourists from China, Macau, and Hong Kong amid coronavirus scare. Filipinos are exempted from the travel ban.
Based on a report from ABS-CBN News, the Philippine Government said 167 Filipinos from Macau will arrive in the country on Saturday afternoon. A chartered flight would be bringing them home amid the COVID-19 threat.
137 of them are irregular and undocumented Pinoy workers while 20 are registered Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) members. DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said the repatriated Pinoys include those “stranded in Macau when travel restrictions were imposed,” including “many tourists and those looking for work who didn’t pass through POEA.”
According to the report, the 167 repatriates will be immediately brought to the New Clark City for further investigation and treatment.
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