THE Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday said 115 Filipinos in crisis-torn Sri Lanka have expressed intention to be repatriated amid conflict and economic difficulties in the South Asian country.
Eduardo de Vega, DFA undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, said government is looking for ways to bring them home. Initially, he said, the DFA considered sending a “sweeper” flight but it had difficulty securing a landing right from the Sri Lankan government.
Instead of a sweeper flight, he said at the “Laging Handa” briefing, the DFA will shoulder the airfare for the commercial flights of the Filipinos who will be repatriated.
He said the 115 Filipinos might be able to return to Manila by the end of July.
Last week, tens of thousands of Sri Lankans stormed the presidential residence as they protested the worst economic difficulties to hit the country in recent years, forcing then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee.
Yesterday, Sri Lankan lawmakers voted in acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president but the protesters also wanted Wickremesinghe gone as he is an ally of the Rajapaksa family.
De Vega said Filipinos may bring their children who were born in Sri Lanka, but their Sri Lankan spouses are not covered by the DFA’s repatriation program.
“There are a little over 700 Filipinos there but most are not contractual workers but rather spouses of Sri Lankan nationals,” he added.
The rest of Filipinos who will stay in Sri Lanka will be provided financial assistance to help them cope with inflation, De Vega said.
De Vega said the DFA is also looking for ways to send the money because of regulations imposed by the Sri Lankan government to fight inflation make it difficult to do so.
He also said Filipinos who want to be repatriated may contact the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh which also exercises jurisdiction over Sri Lanka at telephone number +8801915477731 or at email address dhaka.pe@dfa.gov.ph.
Filipinos, he added, can also reach Honorary Consul Sriyal Dissanayake in Sri Lanka’ capital city of Colombo at telephone number +94776656798. -30-
