Hundreds of Filipino seafarers waiting to disembark from 8 ships in Manila Bay
By MB Online
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday said hundreds of Filipino seafarers are waiting for government clearance to disembark from eight cruise ships in Manila Bay.
"Mga walong cruise ship ngayon ang nandito sa Manila Bay at naghihintay po ng clearance para ho maibaba ang crew na mga Pilipinong kababayan natin," said PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo in an interview over DZMM Teleradyo.
Balilo said most of them are Filipinos crew members of the ships that arrived last week from Australia, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.
"Kasama po ito sa program ng pamahalaan na repatriation at ito po ay minomonitor natin at pagka may clearance na po ay kinukuha na po ito ng PCG," he added.
If the Bureau of Quarantine allows them to disembark, overseas Filipino workers will undergo check-up and two-week quarantine.
Balilo added there are over 1,000 or nearly 2,000 Filipinos on board these ships.
"Mga kababayan po natin ito, kailangan nating serbisyuhan at siguraduhing makakababa sila, makakapag-quarantine sila," Balilo said.
"Handa ho iyong mga doktor natin dito sa pier, iyong Coast Guard medical personnel para siguruhing hindi naman kakalat iyong COVID at walang may sakit doon sa mga bababa," he continued.
Balilo, meanwhile, appealed to OFWs to follow quarantine rules after receiving reports that some of them tried to leave the quarantine facilities.
"'Meron kasing mga reports sa ibang hotel na gustong umalis sapagkat pag nahuli po silang umalis o lumabas, back to zero po sila sa quarantine period nila," he said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Sunday reported six new cases of COVID-19 among overseas Filipinos, bringing the total number of infected to 1,343.