By Elijah Felice E. Rosales & Recto Mercene @rectomercene
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it will provide cash aid to the over 400 repatriated Filipino crew members of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which was quarantined for a fortnight in Japan after some of its passengers were infected with the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III made the announcement as a team led by the Department of Foreign Affairs was expected to arrive with the workers in two chartered flights on Tuesday night at Clark International Airport. From there, they were to be whisked off by the DFA and Department of Health (DOH) to a special quarantine zone in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.
Bello said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) will be providing P10,000 in financial aid to its active members from Diamond Princess.
If some of the beneficiaries opt to no longer work abroad, he said Owwa will provide them with a P20,000 livelihood grant instead.
The Filipino crew disembarked from the cruise ship in Yokohama Port, and were bused to Haneda Airport to board two chartered Philippine Airlines A330s on their return flights to the Philippines.
The DFA-Philippine Embassy in Tokyo said they worked closely with the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the DOH medical team to bring home the Filipinos.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. had laid down a clear policy to bring home overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) wishing to return from virus-affected host countries for as long as they undergo the mandatory quarantine.
The task force member agencies, World Health Organization, the Philippine Embassy in Japan, and the Magsaysay Maritime Corp. jointly cooperated for the repatriation of the estimated 460 to 480 Filipinos aboard the cruise ship who requested assistance to return to the Philippines.
The approved repatriation plan laid down the respective responsibilities of the DOH, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Magsaysay Maritime Corp., Owwa and the concerned local government units.
Airlines’ appeal
Meanwhile, airport sources said that local carriers are appealing to the Task Force to lift the requirement for Filipino pilots and cabin crew to undergo quarantine for 14 days after their flights.
“The long quarantine period affects the supply of deployment of cabin crew and pilots for regular flights,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Bello said most of the beneficiaries would most likely be redeployed by their manning agency, Magsaysay Maritime Corp.
DOLE said out of the 1,500 crew of the Diamond Princess, 538 are Filipinos.
During a briefing in Malacañang on Monday, the DFA said some of the Filipino crew were asked by the Diamond Princess management to remain in the cruise ship for its maintenance.
Bello commended the Filipino crew, who continued to perform their duties, serving 3,000 passengers despite the spread of Covid-19 within the premises of the cruise ship.
He said they are now considering nominating them for their “gallantry” in the next Bagong Bayani Award, which aims to recognize exceptional OFWs.
Image credits: Department of Foreign Affairs via AP