A total of 163 Filipino workers who were stranded in Macau due to the Philippine government's novel coronavirus-related travel ban on China are now back home, CNN Philippines reported today.
The report quoted the Manila International Airport Authority as saying that a special Air Macau flight carrying the Philippine returnees landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 at 4:15 p.m.
According to a report by Macau's public broadcaster TDM tonight, the Air Macau flight took off from the local airport shortly after 2:15 p.m. TDM showed Philippine Consul-General Lilybeth R. Deapera at the local airport to see off her compatriots.
The CNN Philippines report quoted the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as saying that the majority of the evacuees were "undocumented and irregular" Filipino workers, while the remainder were documented employees.
All passengers, consisting of workers, minors, senior citizens and five infants, underwent quarantine procedures upon arriving at Manila, said the department, which previously had put the number of evacuees at 167.
"It is unclear why fewer evacuees were flown back home," the CNN report said.
Deapera told TDM at the local airport that two Philippine nationals had been unable to join the evacuation flight, a toddler under the age of two and an adult who was mistaken about the timing of the flight.
Flights to and from Macau have been suspended since early last month in the wake of the Philippine government's travel ban on mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Exempted are those living, working and studying in Hong Kong and Macau, CNN noted.
Over 33,000 Philippine nationals live in Macau, making them the city's largest foreign community.
