By Jun Ramirez
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that 4,559 Filipinos working aboard cruise ships will return to their families by May 17.
Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the seaport operations section and immigration regulation division have monitored the scheduled disembarkation from 14 cruise ships currently anchored at the Manila Bay undergoing quarantine.
They came from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan.
“We follow strict protocols in processing arriving seafarers," the BI chief said.
Upon arrival, cruise ships are required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine anchorage by the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ).
Immigration officers conduct inspection after the BOQ has examined the health of seafarers for any signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
Likewise, Morente said that disembarking seafarers from cargo and other types of vessels undergo a 14-day quarantine.
"Only Filipino crew and repatriated foreign seafarers are allowed to go ashore after health clearance is issued by the BOQ,” he added.