Filipinos on UAE tourist visas flown home on special flights; 72 more set to be repatriated

Thirteen Filipinos on UAE tourist visas were flown home on Tuesday morning, taking the total number of Philippine repatriates to nearly 500 since the pandemic situation began.
At least 72 more Filipinos, who are staying in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, are set to be repatriated aboard special Emirates flights on April 30 and May 3.
Others who wish to fly home with the government's help may e-mail the Philippine missions' Assistance to Nationals (ATN) section at atn2.abudhabi@gmail.com and atn@pcgdubai.ae.
"For those who write about repatriation, if they really want to go home, the earliest flight would be on May 6 - because April 30 and May 3 are already full," said Philippine Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes.
Explaining the process, Cortes said that once they receive the request, the ATN section conducts an interview to ensure that the applicant does not have any liabilities in the UAE.
"If the applicant is determined to return to the Philippines, we book the earliest ticket available," he added.
The ATN section in Dubai may also be reached at +971565015755 or +971565015756, and the desk in Abu Dhabi at +971545294464.
Finally going home

Among those ready to go home on May 3 is 26-year-old Arnold Salvador, the Filipino expat who had to watch his wife's funeral in a video-call last month. Since his wife died of brain aneurysm, Arnold has been scrambling to get home to his three children, as reported in a previous Khaleej Times story.
"I am very grateful for all the Good Samaritans who have helped me through the toughest ordeal of my life and everyone who has been praying for me and my family. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of a lot of people of different nationalities," Arnold told Khaleej Times.  
"The Philippine Consulate has also been very responsive when I told them that I was having a hard time getting a seat on a flight," Salvador said.
"Finally, I am going home and I will be able to visit my wife's tomb." He will be landing in Manila right on the 40th day after his wife's death.
Open invitation to all Filipinos
The Philippine government has been calling on Filipinos badly hit by the pandemic to return home, assuring that they could facilitate repatriation.
"If you really find it difficult to live overseas, we are ready to bring you home," Sarah Lou Arriola, undersecretary for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said in a recent OFW Help Live session.
"This is an open invitation to overseas Filipinos, documented or not, to come home. You can return abroad later."
Last week, 58 victims of illegal recruitment were repatriated by the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, and 415 stranded seafarers were flown home earlier this month.
 
kirstin@khaleejtimes.com