The ongoing efforts and mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs to repatriate and welcome home Filipinos around the World has now reached close to 5,000 seafarers—in time for the beginning of Holy Week.
With the latest arrival of over 300 seafarers from Italy – 114 of which from Costa Diadema and 208 from Costa Victoria, the number of Filipino sea-based workers repatriated since the MV Diamond Princess from Yokohama, Japan now totals at 4,687.
The majority of seafarers from the nearly 5,000 repatriated started arriving since April 1 and the repatriation process has been ongoing continuously in as many days.
“The men and women of the Department both here and abroad work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our overseas workers in these trying times. Rest assured that the Department will continue facilitating the repatriations accordingly,” said Migrant Workers’ Affairs Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola.
The whole-of-government approach includes coordination efforts from DFA, its Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy, DOH, OWWA, CAAP, NAIA, and the local manning agency Magsaysay Maritime Corporation.
With about a third of all seafarers worldwide being Filipinos, the repatriation efforts are expected to continue through the Holy Week and beyond Easter Sunday.
The DFA also facilitates the repatriation of land-based workers, not to mention overseas Filipinos in distress as part of its ATN mandate.
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