The Department of Foreign Affairs has repatriated close to 13,000 overseas Filipinos with the arrival of 822 seafarers from the United States and Barbados.
On Monday, the DFA welcomed home the Filipino crew members of MS Norwegian Epic, MS Marina and MS Norwegian Spirit at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport who arrived on two separate chartered flights.
Upon arrival of the 822 seafarers, the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine conducted mandatory quarantine inspection and briefing for the repatriated Filipino crew members.
The seafarers of MW Norwegian Epic and MS Marina will undergo a 14-day facility-based quarantine while those from MS Norwegian Spirit will be allowed to undergo home quarantine as recommended by the DOH-BOQ.
“To date, it has successfully facilitated the return of 12,970 distressed OFWs [overseas Filipino workers],” the DFA said in a statement.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington DC coordinated the massive repatriation of the seafarers who were stranded in Miami and in Barbados, in cooperation with the local manning agency and the cruise line companies.
The DFA and all its foreign service posts vowed to continue its mission of bringing Filipinos home amid the ongoing global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration earlier said 23,000 more seafarers await repatriation as the virus stopped cruise operations.