Philippine Embassy in Jordan, MWO Repatriate 40 Non-Marital Children in 2023

Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo C. Santos and Labor Attaché Armi Evangel N. Peña with Embassy and Migrant Workers Office Staff with the third batch of non-marital children on 30 December 2023 at the Queen Alia International Airport.

AMMAN 30 December 2023 — Before 2023 ended, the Philippine Embassy in Jordan in collaboration with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO)—Jordan, successfully repatriated the third batch of 13 Filipino non-marital children with their parents on 30 December 2023, which brings to a total of 40 children who were brought home this year. 

These children were beneficiaries of the Philippine Embassy’s on-going program for non-marital children to be repatriated in the Philippines, to provide them consular assistance, and have the opportunity to go home without paying overstay penalties.  

In previous months, the Philippine Embassy and MWO—Jordan successfully repatriated two batches of 13 and 14 children on 06 October 2023 and 24 November 2023, respectively. 

This undertaking is the fruit of almost a decade of continued discussion and appeal to the Jordanian Government where the Philippine Embassy successfully secured an exceptional concession on 10 August 2023, paving the way for the repatriation of non-marital children and the waiving of their overstay penalties.

The said children were previously barred from being repatriated to the Philippines in the absence of a Jordanian birth certificate, a requirement for them to travel outside Jordan.

“This repatriation is a testament to the close collaboration between our two countries to resolve matters that advance the interests of our Filipino nationals in Jordan. Given this development, our non-marital Filipino children accompanied by their parents can now safely return to the Philippines,” said Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo C. Santos in a statement.

“We reiterate our sincerest thanks to the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their support to this humanitarian undertaking, which took time and a lot of representations by both sides,” the Ambassador added.

Ambassador Santos also commended the ATN team of the Philippine Embassy for their hard work, dedication and commitment in working out the repatriation. The Embassy facilitated the issuance of Philippine civil registration documents and travel documents.

The repatriation efforts were also made possible by the contributions of the Migrant Workers Office in Jordan which bore the costs of flight tickets, bus transports, and meals prior to their departure.

Joining Ambassador Santos at the Queen Alia International Airport to send off the children were Administrative Officer Mr. John Danilo Jiao, Jr., ATN Officer Francisco Magno, ATN Officer Ma. Jolina M. Guerrero and Communication Officer, and Protocol Officer Allan Oseo,  Jr. and MWO officers headed by Labor Attaché Armi Evangel N. Peña, Assistant Labor Attaché Mr. Jaybee John Vincent Baginda, and MWO-OWWA Officer-in-Charge Rosalin R. Lavin.

The Philippine Embassy in Jordan continues to lobby hard with the Jordanian authorities and employers to secure exit clearances for the repatriates. The Philippine Embassy encourages the parents of these non-marital children to avail of this opportunity to be repatriated. END