Three land-based OFWs to return home, too
(Eagle News)–Nineteen Filipinos from China will be arriving in the Philippines tomorrow.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said of the 19, 16 were seafarers who have been stranded amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eleven of these were from Ocean Star 86 who have been stranded in Dongshan since March.
Earlier, Migrante alleged the government was not exerting efforts to get the seafarers home, an allegation the DFA strongly denied.
The remaining five seafarers were crew members of M/V Maria P, and have been stranded in Ningde since July.
Both were Chinese fishing vessels which were affected by China’s “no disembarkation” policy as a precautionary measure due to the pandemic and the unavailability of commercial flights.
The DFA said through the Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen, China, it had been monitoring the condition of the seafarers since they were stranded.
“The consulate has been providing them welfare assistance and ensured that their salaries and other entitlements are provided for by their employer,” the DFA said, debunking Migrante’s claims.
The DFA said of the total 19 to be repatriated, the three were land-based Overseas Filipino Workers.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola said the group was scheduled to arrive in Manila around 1 a.m. on board a chartered flight.
“The repatriation of the Filipino seafarers is a product of the Philippine Government’s determination to bring home any distressed Filipino abroad whether on land or at sea,” Arriola said.
“Rest assured that the DFA remains committed to protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of our OFWs,” she added.
