395 Filipino deportees from Malaysia to arrive in Zamboanga City on July 4

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced that 395 Filipino deportees are scheduled to arrive in Zamboanga City on July 4 from Malaysia.

These deportees are part of a larger group of 5,300 Filipinos that the Malaysian government plans to send home.

Of the 395 deportees, the majority are residents of Tawi-Tawi, with smaller numbers from Sulu and Basilan.

A team from the DSWD, Department of Health, Bureau of Quarantine, and provincial representatives will accompany the deportees.

The deportees underwent reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests before boarding the vessel to ensure they are not carriers of COVID-19.

Those from Zamboanga City and nearby provinces will be transported home by their local government units, while others will be temporarily housed at the DSWD Processing Center.