First batch of 64 Pinoys repatriated from Haiti to arrive today

MANILA, Philippines - A first batch of 64 Filipinos repatriated from quake-ravaged Haiti will start arriving in Manila today, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Six Filipinos from the first batch are scheduled to arrive this morning via Philippine Airlines from Los Angeles.

A second batch of 18 Filipinos will arrive tomorrow morning.

Another group of 40 Filipinos are expected to arrive in Manila early next week, as their transit visas to the United States are still being arranged by the Philippine embassy in Cuba, which has jurisdiction over Haiti, and the Philippine embassy in Washington.

The DFA said a total of 64 repatriates were evacuated from Haiti last Jan. 26 and transported to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Filipinos will be received by a team from the DFA and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

According to Enrico Fos, executive director at the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, the Filipinos will receive assistance from government agencies.

The Philippine Government has extended $50,000 in humanitarian assistance in response to the United Nations appeal for Haiti, as well as deployed a Department of Health-led medical team to Port-au-Prince. The team arrived in the capital Wednesday afternoon and immediately looked after the medical needs of the Haitian people and the Filipino community there.

President Arroyo had instructed the DFA and other concerned agencies to extend immediate assistance to the members of the Filipino community in Haiti.

Scheduled to arrive today are: Gregoria Bacurin; Donna Bacurin; Rochelle Cruz, Sonny Maning; Mikaela Santos and Rosario Santos.

The repatriates who will arrive tomorrow are Bobby Manalansang; Ruby Belle Manalansang; Rosemarie Paglomutan; Roberto Pretilla; Allana Ramirez; Maria Lucia Repizo; Kenneth Kyle Repizo; Kelly May Repizo; Joan Sespene; Ronaldo Sison; Victor Torrizo; Viccina Torrizo; Allen Vincent Torrizo; Badette Villagracia; Art Raymond Villagracia; Candelaria Dublois; Tony Rose Duran; and Wandale Laquihon.

Three batches to come home this week

The Haiti Earthquake Crisis Management Team approved on Monday the repatriation plan for three batches of Filipinos in Haiti beginning this week.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo convened the Haiti Earthquake Crisis Management Team to expedite the extension of relief assistance to the people and government of Haiti and the Filipino community there, as well as the repatriation of Filipinos who wish to come home.

He presided over the meeting at the DFA attended by Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman, Defense Undersecretary Antonio Santos, DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, Social Welfare Asstistant Secretary Ruel Lucentales, DOH Director Carmencita Banatin, and OWWA Director Albert Valenciano.

Romulo and the senior officials discussed and approved the repatriation plan submitted by the Philippine Task Force for Recovery, Relief Assistance and Repatriation in Haiti, headed by Philippine Ambassador to Cuba Macarthur Corsino, which called for the repatriation of some 70 Filipinos who expressed desire to go back to the Philippines.

All the repatriates, many of whom are women and children, would be transported by bus for the seven-hour ride to Santo Domingo in nearby Dominican Republic. They will fly out of the Santiago International Airport in Santo Domingo in three batches.

Earlier, the Task Force headed by Corsino accounted for and confirmed a total of 217 Filipino community members to be safe. Many are housed in four evacuations centers - Delmas 31, Delmas 41/57, Le Plaine and Petionville.

“The task force must ensure a full accounting of the Filipinos in Haiti, check their condition and ascertain whether they wish to be repatriated to the Philippines,” Romulo instructed.

Romulo underscored the crucial role played by the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent, led by Contingent Commander Lt. Col. Lope C. Dagoy, and commended the 172-member team for its exemplary work in fulfilling its UN mandate, particularly securing the UN humanitarian relief operations, as well as in immediately looking after the welfare of Filipinos in Haiti.

He credited the relatively minimal damage caused by the devastating earthquake among Filipino community members to the “the resilience, quick response and deep commitment to duty shown by Colonel Dagoy and his team, as well as the admirable bayanihan spirit among community members themselves.”

Task force still looking for 2 missing OFWs

Meanwhile, Corsino reported that efforts continue to locate Mary Grace Fabian and Geraldine Lalican who remain missing along with other Haitians and foreign nationals in the Caribbean Supermarket area in Port-au-Prince.

According to the task force, a rescue team with heavy equipment is continuing the search and rescue operations in the Caribbean Supermarket area, which was once the biggest supermarket in Port-au-Prince and patronized by expatriates. Filipino peacekeepers continue to help secure the area. – With Evelyn Macairan, Rudy Santos