Second repatriation of Philippines students to arrive today
BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
A second repatriation flight for Solomon Islands students in Philippines is expected to arrive in the country today, says Jimmie Rodgers, Secretary to Prime Minister.
Mr Rodgers confirmed this yesterday at a workshop on strengthening capacity of Solomon Islands Journalists to report on the covid-19 pandemic.
He said this particular repatriation flight will bring in more than 100 Solomon Islands students.
“A second repatriation flight for Manila will arrive tomorrow (today) and will bring in a total of 144 nationals in the country.
“The plane has already flown to Manila for the second flight and will arrive tomorrow (today) hopeful will bring in 144.
“Manila now is very important to us because we have 311 nationals there and the plane will only take 288 so the rest are being flown on Friday night to Port Moresby and on Saturday Solomon Airlines will fly to Port Moresby to bring all our student from Moresby plus the connecting ones,” said Rodgers.
He said Solomon Islands student in the Philippines will later fly to Papua New Guinea and will be picked up by Solomon Airlines together with some of the Solomon Islands citizens in Port Moresby from there to Honiara.
Rodgers said a final repatriation flight for Manila will be on January 10.
