Stranded Pinoy seafarers’ repatriation eyed

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said they are eyeing the repatriation of seafarers stuck at sea in Dongshan, China by next week.

This came after 11 members of the Ocean Star 86 vessel renewed their call for assistance after being unable to return home since the onset of the pandemic.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said the current challenges are in the border restrictions of some countries that are yet still not allowing the entry of international flights and for other vessels to disembark.

He said the DFA is continuously coordinating with the Chinese government to temporarily allow their ship to dock for further repatriation efforts to push through.

“We are arranging a repatriation flight this coming week where we hope that they can already join it for us to send them home. But we are continuously talking with China so that they can be allowed to disembark,” Dulay said in a radio interview.

The current challenges are in the border restrictions of some countries that are yet still not allowing the entry of international flights and for other vessels to disembark.

He vowed that this will be the latest targeted date for the return of the seafarers as they are currently only awaiting the permission and protocols provided by China.

Dulay stressed that the local manning agencies have also become a problem as some of them have already abandoned most of the ships at sea.

“Some of the seafarers in China are managed by a manning agency. However, some have already closed and are not talking with us anymore. So now we in the embassies and consulates are instead talking to them directly,” he added.

He said that they will continuously monitor their situation while in constant exchange with the crew members for other supplies that are needed such as sending them packs of grocery items.

Dulay estimates that around 139 seafarers from other parts of the country are yet to be repatriated in the following days after discussions have been made with the respective government officials.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed the DFA to identify and put into account all of the remaining Filipinos at sea who are still unable to dock as assistance is imperative for the seafarers who for months have been struggling to survive.