DFA Welcomes 863 Seafarers from Two Boeing-747 Miami Flights; Expects More in Coming Days

PASAY CITY 18 April 2020 — A total of 863 Filipino seafarers from Miami, Florida, arrived this morning at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a brief lull in repatriation the last three days.

The seafarers came aboard two Boeing-747 Wamos flights chartered by Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings, Miami, a month after the first Wamos repatriation flight from San Francisco, California.

"This morning's arrivals push the number of our repatriated seafarers above the 12,600 mark and we expect more arrivals in the coming days," said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola.

Five more flights are arriving from the US in the next two days.

In addition to the seafarers, the DFA has also coordinated the repatriation of some 3,159 land-based workers. In total, some 15,801 workers have been assisted by the Department since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Today's flights were facilitated by the Office of Migrant Workers' Affairs in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC and other government agencies who are part of the whole-of-government approach to repatriation. The local manning agency CFSharp was also actively involved in the process.

The repatriates shall undergo a mandatory 14-day facility-based quarantine. Appropriate airport medical protocols and checks were also conducted by the DOH-BOQ.

The seafarers are crew members of Norwegian Epic, Gem, Star, Dawn, Encore and Oceania's Sirena and Marina. END

(Photos by DFA-OUMWA)