Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government will double its chartered repatriation flights for Filipinos to be safe from the Middle East conflict.
He said the government is preparing to mount two flights weekly depending on clearance from local authorities.
“We started with one a week. We will start to accelerate that to two a week,” Marcos said in a press briefing on Wednesday, March 25
He said good relations with Middle East host countries helped in the repatriation efforts.
The president said these governments have been responsive to Manila’s requests and have helped monitor the safety of Filipino workers.
“Kinakaibigan natin silang lahat at very appreciative ang mga host countries sa ating mga workers,” he said.
[Translation: We maintain friendly ties with all of them, and the host countries are very appreciative of our workers.]
Marcos said the government has brought home more than 2,000 overseas Filipinos and has extended assistance to more than 16,000 others through food, shelter, medical care, transportation, and financial support.
“Hindi natin ititigil ito. Patuloy ito ang ating pagpauwi ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.
[Translation: We will not stop this. We will continue bringing our fellow Filipinos home.]
The president said evacuation has become complicated as some had to travel by land to end up in a clear airspace, while the government had to make sure all movements were coordinated with local authorities for safety.
He said some opted for commercial flights.
