A total of 778 seafarers coming from cruise ships docked in the USA were repatriated on Holy Monday, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The latest batch of 179 seafarers from five Carnival Cruise ships: Conquest, Ecstasy, Fascination, Legend, and Magic arrived in the country.
Earlier in the day, the department welcomed 599 seafarers from five other Carnival Cruise ships.
The DFA facilitated the safe return of the overseas Filipinos with the help of its Embassies in Washington DC and Doha.
DFA said it will carry on with its repatriation efforts amid the challenges brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Capping off today’s work by welcoming home 179 Filipino crew members from five more Carnival cruise ships (Conquest, Ecstasy, Fascination, Legend, and Magic). As DFA prioritizes the safety and well being of our Filipinos overseas, (1/2) pic.twitter.com/HZ8pMtBFYb
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) April 6, 2020
The repatriation was coordinated with the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Transportation (DOT) and, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), which assisted the returning Filipinos upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
All the repatriates underwent thorough mandatory check-up and quarantine protocols supervised by the Bureau of Quarantine, according to the DFA.
Meanwhile, 23 female OFWs from Qatar who took refuge at the Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) shelter managed by the Philippine Embassy in Doha.
READ MORE: 881 Filipino seafarers arrive home in PH