Nakabalik na ng Pilipinas ang 586 Filipino seafarers mula sa Aruba, ayon sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Nakabiyahe ang seafarers sa pamamagitan ng dalawang company chartered flights; Wamos at TUI flight, na umalis sa Aruba noong March 4, 2021.
Employed ang mga seafarer sa Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) at crew members ng barkong Norwegian Joy.
Bago ang repatriation, sumailalim na rin ang crew members sa company-imposed quarantine na tumagal ng 14 araw.
Mahigpit namang nakipag-ugnayan ang local manning agency ng NCL na CF Sharp sa kagawaran, Philippine Embassy sa Washington DC, at iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno para sa flight clearances, Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) Certification on the Mandatory Facility-based Quarantine, at iba pang requirements.
“The DFA is equally thankful to the other One-Stop Shop (OSS) partner agencies like the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as well as Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), for providing all the necessary assistance in relation to this repatriation,” pahayag ni DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola.
Lahat ng repatriated seafarers ay sasailalim sa quarantine sa Savoy Hotel, Manila at Holiday Inn Express.