DFA Facilitates Arrival of 688 Seafarers as Repatriation Window Closes Temporarily

PASAY CITY 03 May 2020 — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in cooperation with various agencies facilitated and welcomed some 688 seafarers this afternoon just as the repatriation window closes for a week.

Three flights from Frankfurt, Germany brought home the seafarers from AIDA Cruises. The IATF – Sub-Task Group for the Repatriation of OFWs (IATF-STG)’s earlier announced a temporary week-long hiatus for international inbound flights to all Philippine International Airports beginning today.

The announcement prompted immediate coordination efforts as the flights were considered inbound while the shutdown approaches.

The DFA and its Philippine Embassy in Berlin, Germany, POLO Berlin, Department of Health (DOH) – Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ), CAAP, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and  the Local Manning Agency Magsaysay Maritime Corp. worked with the IATF-STG overtime to guarantee that the flights arrive home as scheduled.

Upon disembarkation, the repatriates completed their respective health declaration forms and passed through the thermal scanning gates manned by health officials from the BOQ. The rapid antibody-testing for COVID-19 was also administered by the Philippine Coast Guard. They will also undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine period at BOQ-approved facilities.

The National Task Force (NTF) Against COVID-19 has made the decision to temporarily restrict flight operations at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila and all other international airports in the country. The decision is meant to decongest our quarantine facilities.

To date, there are more than 17, 500 seafarers and at least 7,400 land-based workers brought home since repatriation efforts by the government began in February. END