Close to 5000 Seafarers Home on Palm Sunday

PASAY CITY 05 April 2020 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has facilitated the repatriation of close to 5000 seafarers by Palm Sunday's end.

With the latest arrival of 322 seafarers from Italy- 114 from Costa Diadema and 208 from Costa Victoria, respectively - the number of Filipino sea-based workers repatriated since the MV Diamond Princess from Yokohama, Japan stands at 4,687.

Most seafarers from this figure started arriving since 01 April and the repatriation process has been on going continuously in as many days.

"The men and women of the Department both here and abroad work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our overseas workers in these trying times. Rest assured that the Department will continue facilitating the repatriations accordingly," said Migrant Workers' Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola.

The whole-of-government approach includes coordination efforts from DFA, its Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy, DOH, OWWA, CAAP, NAIA, and the local manning agency Magsaysay Maritime Corporation.

With about a third of all seafarers worldwide being Filipinos, the repatriation efforts are expected to continue through the Holy Week and beyond Easter Sunday.

The DFA also facilitates the repatriation of land-based workers, not to mention overseas Filipinos in distress as part of its ATN mandate. END