Second Batch of 50 Filipino Repatriates Arrived from Fukushima
20 April 2011 – Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International Economic Relations Antonio V. Rodriguez welcomed the 50 Filipino repatriates upon their arrival Wednesday afternoon from Narita, in light of the Philippine Government’s offer of repatriation for Filipinos living within the 100-kilometer radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in northeastern Japan.
The second batch of 50 Filipino repatriates, including 27 children, arrived on board a commercial Philippine Airlines flight from Narita.
Special Assistant Atty. Rico Fos of the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) accompanied the repatriates, along with 4 DFA officials who were earlier deployed to Tokyo as an augmentation team.
The Philippine Embassy repatriation team fetched the Filipinos at Fukushima City Tuesday. From there, they were brought to Narita, where the Embassy had arranged for their overnight stay.
The Philippines has implemented a repatriation program in line with its Contingency Plan, and in line with the Department of Foreign Affairs’ mandate of promoting the welfare of Filipino nationals abroad as a key pillar of Philippine foreign policy.
“We offered voluntary repatriation as a humanitarian option for those concerned,” Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez said. (Photo by:Benjamin Remo, DFA-PISU)
