About 398 Filipinos returned to the Philippines from Macau, Thailand, and Vietnam while hundreds of others are left jobless amid the pandemic’s economic toll in those countries.
Many of the Filipinos who opted to return home were laid off by their employers because of the pandemic, while other Filipinos chose to remain in their host countries despite not having work.
The Philippine Consulate General in Macau arranged a chartered flight of 203 Filipinos, with three of those cadavers. Their deaths were due to non-Covid-related causes.
Although Macau has only recorded 82 infections since 2020, China’s strict lockdowns in the mainland and its territories have affected its casino operations, which rely on foreign tourism.
The Consulate General has repatriated a total of 5,781 Filipinos in Macau since 2020.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has arranged a repatriation flight for Filipino workers in Thailand and Vietnam.
In Thailand, 53 overseas Filipinos working in Thailand’s education and tourism sectors chose to fly back home after losing work amid the pandemic.
A total of 142 Filipinos in Ho Chi Minh joined the chartered flight back to Manila.
The Philippine Embassy in Thailand has reportedly repatriated a total of 808 Filipinos from Thailand since April 2020.
READ: 1,050 OFWs stranded by the pandemic arrive home on three separate flights
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