The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Sunday said Filipinos in earthquake-ravaged Haiti who wish to be repatriated to the Philippines will be coming home within the week.

In a statement, the DFA said the tentative schedule for the repatriation is on January 26, Tuesday, or January 27, Wednesday. The Filipinos will be transported by bus to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic and from there, take a flight to Manila.

Philippine Ambassador to Havana MacArthur Corsino said they are finalizing the repatriation plans. Corsino is the chairperson of the Philippine Task Force for Recovery, Relief Assistance and Repatriation in Haiti.

There are so far 71 Filipinos in Haiti – both adults and dependents – who have expressed their intention to be repatriated.

So far, the Philippines has accounted for 217 Filipinos in Haiti who were found to be in safe physical condition. The Filipinos are housed in four evacuations centers — Delmas 31, Delmas 41/57, Le Plaine and Petionville.

Meanwhile, the owner of the Caribbean Supermarket has already sought the help of the French rescue team to continue search and rescue operations at the collapsed store where two Filipino women are believed still trapped.

It will be recalled that the Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent to Haiti requested the help of the US rescue team, and a 40-person US rescue team was dispatched to the area and had searched for survivors.

Filipinos Mary Grace Fabian and Geraldine Lalican are the two remaining Filipinos unaccounted for in Haiti and are believed to be under the ruined Caribbean Supermarket in Port-au-Prince.