Zamboanga braces for arrival of 10,000 deportees from Malaysia

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — The city government is mobilizing an inter-agency unit to assist 10,000 arriving Filipino deportees, as Malaysia began their repatriation on Friday.

City administrator Percival Ramos said the help was based on the request of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for assistance in transporting all the deportees.

Mayor Khymer Olaso has committed to assist the DSWD and ensure the welfare of the deportees, who will use the city as a drop-off point.

Reports from the Bureau of Quarantine here indicated that the repatriation from Malaysia would be done in batches of 800, beginning last Friday and with an interval of seven days.

Data from the DSWD-Protective Service Division showed that up to 50 percent of the repatriates are from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.