PH Embassy in UAE Facilitates Repatriation of 207 Filipino Seafarers Stranded in UAE

Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hjayceelyn M. Quintana (second from right), accompanied by Vice Consul Marianne Bringas (rightmost), and Labor Attache Felicitas Bay (third  from right) of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Welfare Officer Melvin Caseda (second from left) of OWWA-Abu Dhabi, oversee the repatriation of Filipino crew members of Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings Ltd (NCL) on 11 April 2020 at Dubai Airport. (Abu Dhabi PE photo)

DUBAI 12 April 2020 – Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, together with officials from POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) Dubai and OWWA Abu Dhabi, oversaw the repatriation of the first batch of Filipino crew members who have been stranded for six weeks aboard three Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings Ltd (NCL) cruise ships: Norwegian Jade, Nautica, and Voyager docked in Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi and Port Rashid in Dubai.

NCL chartered two Emirates Airlines flights that brought a total of 207 Filipino crew members on 11 April 2020. Another 208 Filipino crew members took the second flight on 12 April 2020.

Philippine Ambassador Quintana expressed her appreciation to the UAE authorities for assisting the Embassy in ensuring that these Filipino seafarers arrive home safely by allowing two special flights to leave for Manila despite the current flight suspension in UAE.

The Department of Health (DOH), through the Bureau of Quarantine (BoQ), ensured that the Filipino crew members went through the proper screening procedures upon arrival. The repatriates were welcomed by representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OUMWA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA). END

For more information, visit https://www.abudhabipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinUAE/.