Photo courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs
Two flights with 571 Filipino crewmen of the Norwegian Breakaway arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Orlando, Florida this morning.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said the total number of repatriated seafarers had surpassed the 16,000 mark.
The new arrivals were subjected to stringent quarantine protocols by personnel of the Bureau of Quarantine and would undergo a 14-day facility-based quarantine certified by the Department of Health.
The Philippine Embassy in Washington and the local manning agency worked with different government agencies to bring home the workers from the cruise and hospitality industries, which were affected by Covid-19 lockdowns.
The Norwegian Cruise Lines paid for the chartered flights while CF Sharp, the local manning agency of Norwegian Breakaway, provided the land transport to bring the affected seafarers to their quarantine facilities. (Melo M. Acuña)