MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines announced on Wednesday, September 13, that it will bring home more than 200 Filipinos affected by Hurricane Irma in several islands in the Caribbean.

“There are now as many as 236 of our kababayans (countrymen) from various parts of the Caribbean who have asked to be repatriated,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement. “We assure them that we will bring all of them home.” 

Citing information from the Philippine embassy in Washington DC, Cayetano said the Philippines is set to repatriate the following numbers of Filipinos:

• 160 to 180 Filipinos from the British Virgin Islands
• 20 from Anguilla
• 36 from St Martin

Cayetano said the Philippine government is targeting to start the repatriation by Monday, September 18.

Filipnio injured in Turks and Caicos

In its statement on Wednesday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs also gave updates on other Filipinos affected by Hurricane Irma.

In the Turks and Caicos, for example, the Philippine embassy said it is monitoring the condition of a Filipino “who suffered serious injuries after he fell while clearing debris in his workplace.”

In Florida, Cayetano said Filipinos in Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale “were spared from Hurricane Irma’s wrath.”

No Filipino casualty was reported in Georgia as well, even as the place was affected by Irma.

Before reaching the US, Irma tore through a string of Caribbean islands, going from tiny Barbuda to the tropical paradises of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, the US and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Irma’s overall death toll is estimated to be at least 40 after Cuba reported that 10 people had been killed there over the weekend. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com