DFA Welcomes Home 337 Seafarers of Costa Cruises Amid the COVID-19 Crisis

(Photo by DFA-OUMWA) 

PASAY CITY 25 April 2020 - At 8:25 PM, a total of 337 Costa Cruises crew members, composed of 241 crew of Costa Diadema, 47 crew of Costa Luminosa and 49 crew of Costa Smeralda were met by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, the local manning agency of Costa Cruises.

The repatriation of this batch of seafarers was made possible with the cooperation of the management of Costa Cruises and assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Paris for the Costa Smeralda and the Philippine Consulate General in Milan for the Costa Diadema and Costa Luminosa.

Representatives of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Department of Tourism, Department of Health, Bureau of Quarantine, Department of Transportation, Philippine Coast Guard and Manila International Airport Authority joined in welcoming the repatriates.

All 337 Filipinos underwent the appropriate airport medical protocols and will undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine as required by DOH-BOQ. END