BI: 177 stranded Chinese nationals have left PHL

THE Bureau of Immigration on Thursday disclosed that a total of 177 Chinese nationals who got stranded in the country after the government imposed a travel ban on Sunday due to 2019-nCoV virus were already able to leave the country.

BI spokesman Dana Krizia Sandoval said the 177 Chinese nationals left at 9:06 p.m. last Wednesday via chartered Flight No. RW410 Royal Air from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1.

The Chinese nationals, who were mostly tourists, arrived in the country prior to the imposition of the travel ban by President Duterte.

The 177 Chinese nationals who wished to return to their homeland were able to depart via a chartered flight,” said Sandoval.

The ban had been imposed for travelers to and from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau.

“They were experiencing difficulty in booking tickets because there were no longer any outbound flights. The airlines have canceled commercial flights to and from Manila and China,” Sandoval said.

Some of them arrived in the country where they spent the Lunar New Year last January 25, but failed to secure bookings going back to China due to the travel ban and flight cancellations by airlines.

Sandoval said it is possible that another chartered flight back to China will be arranged if there are still Chinese nationals who wish to go home.

The Chinese Embassy paid for the chartered flight of their nationals. Joel R. San Juan