PRESS RELEASE
WDC-01-2020
15 January 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C.– The Philippine Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Renato Pedro O. Villa and Assistance-to-Nationals Officer Ryan Dasal were in Haiti on 11-14 January 2020 to assist in the repatriation of 30 Filipino nationals, composed of 9 minors and 21 adults, to the Philippines.
The Filipino community in Haiti petitioned the said repatriation because of the unstable economic and security situations in the country, caused by continuous civil unrest, crime, and kidnapping. Most of the minor repatriates will continue their studies in the Philippines.
The repatriates were divided into two (2) groups – the Philippine Airlines (PAL) group which is composed of 17 repatriates, and Asiana Airlines group which is composed of 13 repatriates. Both groups are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines on Thursday, 16 January 2020.
Mr. Camilo Duran, an overseas Filipino worker in Haiti and one of the repatriates said, “Maraming salamat kay President Rodrigo Duterte sa malasakit sa mga OFWs, sa Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary na nagbigay tulong pinansyal sa aming pag-uwi, sa embahada ng Pilipinas sa Washington DC sa pamumuno ni Ambassador Babe Romualdez na sinigurong kami ay makauwi ng matiwasay, sa US Embassy sa Port Au Prince, Haiti na kaagad inaprubahan ang aming transit visa sa New York, sa Haiti at mga Haitians na ilang taon ding nagbigay sa amin ng pagkakataong makapagtrabaho at kumita at naging aming tirahan. Nagdarasal at nananalig kami na malalampasan at mareresolba ng bansang Haiti ang mga pagsubok na kanilang hinaharap sa ngayon.”
“Ensuring the safety and well-being of our overseas Filipinos remain a top priority of the Philippine Government. The Philippine Embassy, along with the Philippine Consulates General and Honorary Philippine Consulates in the United States and in the Caribbean, are always here to listen and provide assistance to our kababayans as the need arises,” Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said in a separate statement. ###
PHOTO RELEASE
WDC-01-2020
15 January 2020
