ECQ leaves repatriated seafarers stranded in Metro Manila

HUNDREDS of repatriated Filipino seafarers remain homeless in Metro Manila after being sent back to the Philippines without any quarantine area or temporary shelter to go to until the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that locked down city borders is been lifted.

The said seafarers were unable to return to their homes in distant provinces and neighboring cities due to the strict implementation of the ECQ that paralyzed public transportation going in and out of Metro Manila. With the lack of quarantine areas and temporary shelters, these seamen were left to fend for themselves.

One incident involved six repatriated cadets who walked from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office in Pasay all the way to Quirino, their luggage in tow, searching for accommodation. Upon learning that they are OFWs who just arrived in the Philippines, motel representatives immediately sent them off in fears that they are carrying the Corona virus.

The same refusal greeted the seafarers of Philippine Transmarine Carriers-RCCL when their manning agency attempted to bring them in their training site in Maragondon, Cavite for quarantine prior to sending them home to their families. The local government of Maragondon refused entry to the busload of seafarers, asserting that it was not coordinated with them and might be a risk to the health of its citizens.

With over 4,000 more that are expected to arrive in the days and weeks to come following the month-long suspension of cruise lines operations around the world, the same scenario of rejection and homelessness face the Filipino seafarers.

“This could escalate the Covid-19 cases because we have people who just came from a different country, walking around the city and searching for shelter. Since no one would take them, and the administration is yet to figure out a quarantine area for the returning OFWs, they’ll be left roaming, searching, and stranded on their own,” says an officer of the Philippine Association of Maritime Training Centers, Inc. (PAMTCI).

He added that a reliable source confirmed that OWWA even failed to account all the returning seafarers for the past weeks. “They can only provide data for repatriated land-based workers; how can we do proper contract tracing if we lack this data?” he said.

He, on the other hand, noted that the Philippine Air Force in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City, offered accommodations to stranded travelers, seabased and land-based OFWs in particular. “They just need to bring government IDs and flight/ferry/bus ticket to show their itinerary was cancelled due to the effects of COVID-19,” he said.

OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac affirmed in a recent interview that the Department of Tourism (DOT) has already identified hotels with over 4,000 rooms for returning OFWs. These rooms, however, are still subjected for a DOH inspection to verify whether it passes the standards of a Quarantine Facility. No timeline was provided.

Training centers attempt to offer facilities

In efforts to provide temporary shelter and quarantine facilities to stranded seafarers,the said PAMTCI officer proposed to Marino Party list the possible use of training center buildings until the government has identified isolation quarters and accommodation for the OFWs.

Such proposal stated how seafarers were summoned to Manila by their manning agencies for deployment abroad but due to the ECQ, the deployment was suspended indefinitely and they are now facing eviction from landlords due to unpaid rents. “Some seafarers, meanwhile, have just arrived by virtue of repatriation and could not find a temporary accommodation as dormitories are either full or afraid to take them in due to the COVID-19 threat,” the letter said.

The said proposal hit a snag, however, due to the numerous permits and tedious process that needed to be secured from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Health (DOH), OWWA, and the local government units. Transportation should also be coordinated with the Philippine National Police-Special Weapons Tactics (PNP-SWAT).

“There’s too way too much requirements. They also wanted the accommodation, food, and transport services to be provided free by the training centers because accordingly, MARINO Party List has no budget for this,” the officer said.

“It is already a big risk to training centers and stakeholders to offer their facilities. They will be facing the criticism from the media, possible rejection by the LGUs, and hostility from their neighbors. Financial support from the government would also have been helpful,” he lamented.