More Filipino Repatriates to Arrive in PH as War Rages on in Ukraine

13 Filipinos from Ukraine are now on their way and set to arrive in Manila Tuesday night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed.

The repatriates are a part of the 40 Filipinos that fled the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and headed to Lviv. The group was then welcomed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. at the Poland-Ukraine border.

As of March 1, a total of 19 Filipinos have made it back to the Philippines from Ukraine, with the first six arriving in the country on February 18.

More Filipinos are expected to arrive at the temporary base of the Philippine Embassy at Lviv as more Russian troops, equipment, and heavy armor were seen heading for Kyiv.

According to Philippine Ambassador to Poland Leah Basinang-Ruiz, 215 Filipinos out of an estimated 350 that are in Ukraine have sought help from the DFA.

Basinang-Ruiz added that others are still reluctant to return to the Philippines.

However, the ambassador gave Filipinos in Ukraine the assurance that no Filipinos will be left behind as the embassy is always ready to repatriate them. (GFB)