(Eagle News)–The Philippines will repatriate at least 63 Filipinos from Haiti amid the ongoing violence in the Caribbean country.
The Presidential Communications Office said the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Migrant Workers are looking to charter a flight since no flights are coming out of Haiti and land travel to Port-au-Prince is discouraged due to violence.
According to the PCO, the Philippine Embassy led by Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez and the DMW-Migrant Workers Office-OWWA in Washington DC are closely coordinating with the Philippine Consul General in Haiti, Fitzgerald Oliver James Brandt, and Filipino community leader Bernadette Villagracia for the planned repatriation.
There are 115 Filipinos in Haiti.
The PCO said, so far, there are no Filipinos affected or injured in the Caribbean island-nation.
Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo approved the recommendation declaring an Alert Level 3 over Haiti, which means voluntary repatriation for Filipinos.
According to international media reports, the recent wave of violence reportedly by gangs broke out in February while acting leader Ariel Henry was in Kenya to secure some help for his country.
The gangs, which had appeared to form an alliance, said they wanted to prevent Henry from coming back to Haiti.
He later resigned.
