Philippine Embassy vows to continue assisting Filipinos in Sabah

After 750 Filipinos were repatriated from Sabah last September 6, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur vowed that it would continue assisting all Filipinos in the Malaysian state.

“The 750 overseas Filipinos (OFs) had been detained at the Tawau, Sandakan, Papar, and Kota Kinabalu Immigration Depots since 2020. All OFs have been fully vaccinated and have received booster doses,” Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Ambassador Charles Jose said in a statement released on Friday.

Jose said the return of Filipinos to Zamboanga from Sabah during the COVID-19 pandemic was coordinated with the authorities and the Task Group for the Management of Returning Overseas Filipinos (TG-MROF), which is the Philippine government body tasked to oversee the Sabah transfers.

The ambassador added that the coordination was to ensure the orderly and safe travel of the Filipinos and to minimize the risk of COVID-19.

Jose said that they also complied with the latest entry, testing, and quarantine protocols for travel to the Philippines.

“In all previous transfers during the pandemic, the Embassy was always present to provide welfare assistance, supervise COVID-19 testing, and issue travel documents to the returning Filipinos,” Jose said.

“The Embassy will continue to work with Sabah authorities and other Philippine government agencies to ensure the immediate and safe return of our kababayans,” he added. — DVM, GMA News