200 Filipino seafarers from Germany arrive in Manila on April 17, 2020. (Photo courtesy of the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs.
MANILA, Philippines – Another batch of 200 Filipino seafarers returned home on Friday amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.
The Filipino seafarers arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Frankfurt, Germany at 9.a.m.
Sixty six are crew members of MV Amera, 130 are from the Albatros, three from River and one from MV Amadea, the DFA said in a statement.
Over 13,000 OFWs, mostly seafarers, have been repatriated as of April 13, according to DFA data.
The repatriation was arranged by Five Star Marine Service Corp and BSM Crew Service Centre Philippines Inc., the seafarers’ manning agencies, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Berlin.
A total of 757 Filipinos abroad have contracted the novel coronavirus, the DFA said.
Four hundred fourteen are currently undergoing treatment, 240 have already recovered or have been discharged, while 103 others have perished.