PH repatriation set to leave Japan with over 400 Filipino cruise ship crewmen
By Roy Mabasa and Ariel Fernandez
The first of the two chartered planes is set to leave Japan anytime now to repatriate more than 400 Filipino crewmen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-hit MV Diamond Princess, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Tuesday.
(DFA/MANILA BULLETIN)
“This morning, @DFAPHL carries out the directive of SFA@teddyboylocsin to bring our people in the Diamond Princess cruise ship back home,” the DFA said in a statement.
(DFA/MANILA BULLETIN)
“This morning, @DFAPHL carries out the directive of SFA@teddyboylocsin to bring our people in the Diamond Princess cruise ship back home,” the DFA said in a statement.
Prior to boarding the plane, DFA and Philippine Embassy officials joined representatives of the Department of Health in assisting and processing the repatriates as they disembark from the cruise ship docked at the port in Yokohama, Japan. On Monday night, the DFA advised the media that only the in-house team will be allowed to cover the return of the Filipino repatriates to the country. The special flights of Philippine Airline flight PR-8422 depart at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 at around 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, 2020, direct to Haneda with three pilots, 11 flight stewards, and one from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Another aircraft will depart at 12:20 p.m. direct to Haneda. The DOH is in close coordination with the IATF member agencies, the World Health Organization, the Philippine Embassy in Japan, and the Magsaysay Maritime Corporation for the repatriation of around 460 to 480 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship who requested assistance to return to the Philippines. Among the salient points of the approved repatriation are the respective responsibilities of DOH, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the concerned Local Government Units. The DOH shall provide health human resources and their transportation to the quarantine site, on-site medical needs of the repatriates, hospitalization expenses through PhilHealth, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the first five days of the quarantine period. They are expected to return to Manila Tuesday night via Clark International Airport for the 14-ay quarantine of the OFs.This morning, @DFAPHL carries out the directive of SFA @teddyboylocsin to bring our people in the Diamond Princess cruise ship back home. The first of two flights to get our kababayans back is now ready to leave for Japan! 🇵🇭✈🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/Ni3WOs5gcV
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) February 25, 2020