Immigration bureau: Over 16000 Filipino, foreign seafarers cleared at Manila port since start of COVID-19 pandemic

(Eagle News) — Over 16,000 Filipino and foreign seafarers have been cleared for disembarkation since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Immigration said.

Bureau Seaport Operations Chief Alnazib Decampong said in a report to Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente that of the 16287  cleared by immigration boarding inspectors, 11,189 are Filipinos and 5,098 are foreigners.

They disembarked from 42 vessels  that arrived and anchored at Manila Bay between April 16 to June 15, after they were quarantined and tested for COVID-19 aboard the ships, Decampong said.

He added that around 2,300 seafarers  remain quarantined aboard their vessels.

Immigration Boarding Supervisor Abinal Usman said the repatriated Filipino seafarers are  transported to their places of residence through the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

Foreign seafarers, on the other hand, Usman said, are only allowed to disembark upon presentation of a confirmed outbound plane ticket for their country of origin.

Usman said seamen with Filipino spouses are allowed to disembark  provided they submit a letter-request, marriage certificate, photocopy of passport of Filipino spouse, a swab test result showing they are negative for COVID-19, and endorsement from the Department of Foreign Affairs.