Philippine Embassy in Kuwait mounts biggest mass repatriation

Close to 350 distressed or undocumented Filipinos in Kuwait will soon rejoin their loved ones in the Philippines, as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait mounted its biggest repatriation of overseas Filipinos since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Mohd. Noordin Pendosina N. Lomondot said that the chartered Philippine Airlines flight to Kuwait on 3 June 2021 is “the DFA’s urgent response to the clamor of overseas Filipinos in Kuwait to come home amid the continuing travel restrictions brought about by the global pandemic.”

“This is the second special repatriation flight sent by the DFA in 2021 to bring home our kababayan from Kuwait. With 347 passengers, including one medical stretcher case and eight infants, this is the biggest ever repatriation of overseas Filipinos in Kuwait since the pandemic began in 2020,” the Philippine Ambassador said.

Ambassador Lomondot expressed hope that those who joined the special repatriation flight will start anew upon their return to the Philippines.

“It is my high hope that our OFWs will turn their experiences in Kuwait into new opportunities for themselves in the Philippines. Government agencies such as OWWA [Overseas Workers Welfare Administration] and TESDA [Technical Education and Skills Development Authority] have programs to assist returning OFWs in opening new businesses or upgrading their skills,” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Lomondot further said that the special repatriation flight is not going to be the last. “The DFA as well as the Department of Labor and Employment stand ready to repatriate our kababayan in Kuwait through these special flights,” the Ambassador added.

Ambassador Lomondot led the officials and staff of the Embassy, OWWA, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in assisting overseas Filipinos at Terminal 1 of the Kuwait International Airport.

Among the passengers of the special repatriation flight is Pablito Flores, whose battle with cancer while facing a travel ban case drew widespread support from Filipino community organizations as well as Filipino netizens in Kuwait. Upon arrival in Manila, Flores will be transported to Olongapo City for his much-awaited reunion with his family.

Apart from Flores, the lone medical stretcher case, the special repatriation flight also included four senior citizens, eight infants, 36 wards from the Kuwaiti Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) Expatriate Shelter in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh Area, 60 OFWs with absconding cases, 74 undocumented or overstaying Filipinos, and 105 detainees from Kuwait’s prison and deportation centers.

The DFA previously chartered two special repatriation flights on 20 December 2020 and 3 March 2021, bringing home 562 overseas Filipinos amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Kuwait. Both repatriation flights were funded by the DFA’s Assistance to Nationals or ATN Fund.

Press Release by Philippine Embassy in Kuwait

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