Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31) — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said rapid response teams would be sent to Sri Lanka this weekend to help with the repatriation of Filipinos affected by the worsening economic situation there.
“Magpapadala tayo ng rapid response team mula po sa (Philippine Embassy in) Dhaka, Bangladesh. Darating sila sa June 2 at meron din pong manggagaling dito sa DFA. Darating din sila this weekend para tulungan ang ating mga kababayan doon,” DFA Usec. Sarah Lou Arriola said in a public briefing.
[Translation: We will deploy a rapid response team from the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh and they will arrive on June 2. Another team will be coming from the DFA and will be there this weekend to help Filipinos there.]
Arriola said 25 Filipinos are on the list for repatriation so far, adding that those without passports will also be given assistance.
“Yung iba, ‘yung mga anak nila, walang Philippine passport, ‘yung mga nagkaroon na ng anak. Ang kailangan lang po namin is proof na Filipino citizen sila so we just need a birth certificate. Ita-translate po ‘yun if ‘yung birth certificate nila is from Sri Lanka so that we can also give them travel documents para umuwi,” she said.
[Children of Filipinos in Sri Lanka do not have a Philippine passport. We only need proof that they are Filipino citizens, like a birth certificate. It will be translated if it’s in Sri Lankan so we can also give them travel documents that they need to come home.]
About 492 Filipinos are in the South Asian nation and more than half are married to Sri Lankans. While some of them would like to come home now, Arriola said many would like to return to Sri Lanka after the crisis blows over.
According to Arriola, Sri Lanka’s inflation rate currently stands at 33% while food inflation is at 45%, resulting in high prices of basic goods.
“The DFA is going to Sri Lanka to give financial assistance po sa ating mga kababayan na nangangailangan. Ang napag-usapan po namin ng embahada natin sa Bangladesh, magbibigay po ng financial aid sa mga adults po na $300 per Filipino para mapangtawid po nila. Pero kung hindi pa rin po talaga maibsan ‘yung problema, willing po ang DFA na mag-repatriate ng mga kababayan natin,” she said.
[Translation: The DFA is going to Sri Lanka to give financial assistance to our countrymen in need. Together with the embassy in Bangladesh, we have decided to provide financial aid worth $300 per Filipino to tide them over. If it doesn’t solve the problem, the DFA is willing to repatriate them.]
