DFA: Pinoy repatriates from Yemen to arrive in PHL on Tuesday

Eight Filipinos will be repatriated from tension-plagued Yemen and arrive in Manila on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday. The eight Filipinos availed of the Philippine government's voluntary repatriation program after the crisis alert level in Yemen was raised to level 3. "Originally, the first batch of repatriates was composed of two adults married to Yemenis and four children. Two Filipinas later joined the group," Philippine Embassy in Riyadh Charge d'Affaires (CDA) Ezzedin Tago said in a news release on the DFA website. In the meantime, the Philippine Embassy team continues to make representations the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the repatriation. Embassy officials are requesting for full waiver of the penalties of the Filipinos who went beyond their authorized stay and have expressed the desire to avail of the government's voluntary repatriation program. Earlier, 69 Filipinos - most of them overstayers - opted for repatriation, but would need to have penalties settled first before the Yemeni Passports Authority would agree to issue them an exit visa. There are 1,422 Filipinos in Yemen registered with the Embassy, the DFA said. On the other hand, the other Filipinos expressed desire to remain as they are still gainfully employed and are safe in their places of work and residence. Citing a report from Tago, the DFA said the Filipinos' employers have also given assurances them that they have an evacuation plan should there be a need to move them out. Tago and a five-member team from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh are in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to implement the contingency plan. A separate three-member team from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah is stationed at the port city of Aden for the same purpose. On May 24, the DFA announced its readiness to repatriate Filipinos who wish to leave the country at government's expense in the light of the continuing political tension and escalating violence in the capital city of Sanaa. Under crisis alert level 3, voluntary repatriation at government's expense is offered to Filipinos who wish to leave Yemen in light of the escalating tensions. In coordination with Department of Labor and Employment, a deployment ban has also been put in place. Also, all Filipinos in the Philippines and in other countries are advised not to travel to Yemen at this time. - VVP, GMA News