17 more Filipinos arriving from war-torn Ukraine —Bello

By JOVILAND RITA, GMA News Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday said 17 more Filipinos will soon arrive in the Philippines from Ukraine under raging Russian invasion. Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Bello said the 17 Filipinos flew from Poland and commended Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. for personally picking them up from Lviv, Ukraine. “Bilib ako. Nakita ko. Biro mo, sinundo niya yung 17 from Lviv, papunta sa border ng Poland. And from Poland, nilipad sila. Parating na yung 17 na kababayan natin,” he said. (I am impressed. I saw it. Secretary Locsin picked up the 17 Filipinos from Lviv to the border of Poland. And from Poland, they flew off. The 17 Filipinos will arrive soon.) Bello said there are Filipinos who do not want to return to the Philippines and are staying in Ivano-Frankivsk in Ukraine as they wait for the armed conflict to subside. On February 18, six Filipinos in Ukraine were repatriated. According to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), there are around 380 Filipinos in Ukraine. As of February 25, the DFA said a total of 181 Filipinos have been accounted for. Malacañang assured the public that the Philippine government stands ready to assist Filipinos in Ukraine. —LBG, GMA News

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