257 OFWs MULA UZBEKISTAN NAKAUWI NA SA BANSA

MAGING ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)   sa bansang Uzbekistan ay hindi rin nakaligtas sa epekto ng COVID-19 pandemic.

Ito ay makaraang tulungan ng  Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)  na maiuwi sa bansa ang may 257 Overseas Filipinos mula sa

Republic of Uzbekistan na lulan ng special chartered flight  na dumating sa Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Ito ang unang repatriation flight mula sa Central Asian Country at maayos naman na  nakauwi ang mga nasabing Pinoy mula Uzbekistan.

Nabatid na karamihan sa 257 repatriates ay pawang mga documented overseas contract workers na nagtatrabaho sa iba’t ibang kumpanya.

Humiling ng repatriation assistance ang mga natu­rang OFWs sa pangambang mahawa ng COVID-19 sa kanilang trabaho.

“To understand the importance of this flight is to be reminded of the difficult conditions under which this special flight was mounted. The Philippines does not have an embassy, let alone an honorary consulate in Uzbekistan. In addition, there is a total lockdown. This means commercial flights are also prohibited,”  ayon kay DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou  Arriola.

Ang DFA sa pamamagitan ng Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) at Philippine Embassy in Tehran, katuwang ang mga kinauukulang ahensiya gaya ng The Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine, Philippine Overseas Employment Agency, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines  at Overseas Workers Welfare Administration  (OWWA), patuloy ang ginagawang pagtulong para maiuwi nang ligtas sa bansa ang mga OFW na apektado ng pandemya.

“A big part of the success is attributable to our kababayans themselves. Their leaders ensured adherence to the repatriation plan as well as compliance with the Phi­lippine and Uzbek governments’ health and quarantine protocols. This includes COVID-19 testing before the flight. We are thankful that all repatriates tested negative for the COVID-19 virus,” dagdag pa ni Arriola.

Gayunpaman, pagdating sa NAIA, kinakailangan pa rin nilang sumunod  sa   medical protocols na kung saan  isasailalim ang mga ito sa quarantine procedures alinsunod na rin sa omnibus  guidelines  ng Interagency Task Force (IATF). LIZA SORIANO