440 Filipino seafarers of Norwegian cruise ships back in PH

The seafarers safely arrived in Manila on Friday where they are expected to undergo mandatory quarantine, as part of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health measures, before returning to their respective hometowns, the DFA said in a news release. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has welcomed 440 seafarers of the Norwegian Pearl, Sky, and Sun cruise ships from the US.

The seafarers safely arrived in Manila on Friday where they are expected to undergo mandatory quarantine, as part of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health measures, before returning to their respective hometowns, the DFA said in a news release.

The Friday morning flight, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC and the local manning agency CF Sharp, was the first of five scheduled repatriations that would bring home more than a thousand overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the US and Europe.

Counting from February, the DFA breached the 10,000-person mark in assisted repatriations of OFWs from every corner of the globe.

As the repatriations crossed its 11th straight day, the DFA and partner agencies, including the Department of Health’s Bureau of Quarantine, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Transportation stand ready to assist OFWs through the Covid-19 pandemic. (PR)