TWENTY-FOUR more Filipinos from quake-stricken Turkey were set to arrive in Manila late Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
The group is the second batch of Filipinos repatriated after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria last month, flattening cities and killing more than 50,000.
“Last week, we repatriated 25. This batch is composed of mothers and kids,” said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo Jose de Vega.
De Vega, who is accompanying the group, said the the Filipinos boarded a plane in Ankara and made a stopover in Istanbul before proceeding to Manila. In Istanbul, they were met by Ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena Algabre and Consul General Shirlene Mananquil and their staff.
He said some of the repatriates are from Metro Manila and nearby provinces while others are from Cebu and Samar provinces in the Visayas.
He said the DFA, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Migrant Workers will assist the in going to their homes.
Another batch of Filipinos from Turkey is expected to come home in the next few days, De Vega said.
He said 78 of the 102 Filipinos have remained in a shelter rented by the embassy in Ankara. Not all of them, he said, wanted to return home but for those who want to will be repatriated.
For those who want to remain in Turkey, the embassy is coordinating with Turkish authorities for financial and housing assistance promised by the Turkish government.
The DFA earlier said 248 Filipinos in Turkey were affected by the earthquake while three were confirmed to have perished in the tragedy.
