111 STRANDED FILIPINO SEAFARERS REPATRIATED FROM FUJIAN PROVINCE

 Xiamen City – The Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen confirmed that Star Mariner is expected to arrive in Philippine waters on 22 July 2020 with one hundred and eleven (111) Filipino seafarers who were stranded in Fujian Province.

The stranded Filipinos are fishing crew of nine (9) different Chinese fishing vessels that were forced to anchor in the high seas for the past several months because they were not allowed to dock in any port, including China, due to the travel restrictions imposed by countries around the world caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Star Mariner left Fujian Province, China on 11 July 2020 with one hundred and one (101) stranded Filipinos and navigated towards Singapore to pick up ten (10) more Filipinos and the remains of two (2) Filipinos who earlier died in the Indian Ocean.

They left the waters of Singapore on 18 July 2020 and is expected to arrive and dock at Pier 15, Manila South Harbor on Thursday, 23 July 2020.

The successful repatriation was achieved through the cooperation and support of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (DOH-BOQ), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Chinese employer and the Licensed Manning Agency (LMA) of the Filipino seafarers.

The Philippine Consulate General in Xiamen expresses its sincere appreciation to the said government agencies and the private sector for their cooperation and support that made the repatriation successful despite the difficult and extra ordinary challenges in this humanitarian mission in view of the travel restrictions and health protocols imposed both by Chinese and Philippine governments because of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the Consulate General will continue to monitor the condition of and extend assistance to the remaining seafarers in Fujian province who were not repatriated while it continues with its efforts to negotiate with local authorities for their immediate repatriation to the Philippines.

For more information, visit www.dfa.gov.ph, www.facebook.com/dfaphl, and @dfaphl on Twitter. END