PH Embassy in Madrid Repatriates 13 Filipino Seafarers

MADRID 24 March 2020 – In a race against time brought about by the spike in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Spain, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, in cooperation with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), repatriated to Manila on 23 March 2020 a total of 13 Filipino crew members of the MV Sovereign.

From the 13 crewmembers, nine were under the direct supervision and management of the Spanish company Pullmantrur Cruceros S.L., and the other four were under the Makati-based Scanmar Maritime Services, Inc.

The Pullmantur Cruceros urgently signed off the disembarkation of the thirteen crewmembers and facilitated their immediate repatriation as soon as the MV Sovereign completed its voyage at Malaga on 21 March 2020. The management’s decision was carried out so the Filipino crewmembers would avoid being caught in the lockdown currently implemented in Spain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All the Filipino crewmembers were assured  and declared as being COVID-free. Their vessel is also said to have not registered any case of infection.

The Pullmantur Cruceros sought the Embassy’s assistance after it received a notice from the Qatar Airlines that the flight of their nine Filipino crewmembers, initially scheduled in the evening of 21 March 2020, was canceled. The notice came just a few moments before the crewmembers' arrival in the Madrid Barajas International Airport.

The Embassy, in cooperation with the POLO/OWWA-Madrid, then coordinated with the manning agencies to ensure that the Filipino seafarers were provided with overnight accommodation in Madrid, transport services to and from airport and hotel, as well as with confirmed rebooking of flights for the following day.

The four crewmembers of the Scanmar Maritime Services, Inc. eventually joined the batch of Pullmantur Cruceros’ crew at the Madrid Barajas International Airport. The Embassy and the POLO-Madrid likewise alerted their counterparts in Doha, Qatar, for possible assistance during the repatriates’ layover in the country before they take their connecting flight for the Philippines.

The Filipino seafarers took the repatriation flight on 22 March 2020 and arrived in Manila in the afternoon of the following day. END