After weeks of waiting, Filipino crew of cruise ships finally start government-supervised quarantine
MANILA, Philippines — After weeks on isolation and waiting for word from Philippine government on sea, Filipino crew aboard foreign cruise ships finally start their 14-day quarantine period.
Commodore Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, in an interview with radio dzMM on Monday morning said in Filipino that “eight foreign cruise ships are waiting for clearance for the disembarkation of their Filipino crew.”
These cruise ships, from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, laid their anchors at the Manila Bay, with some arriving early last week.
Aboard these cruise ships are some 2,000 Filipino crew members, Balilo said.
“They are not immediately told to disembark because they need clearance from the [Bureau of Quarantine],” he added.
The PCG spokesperson said they received orders from PCG Admiral Joel Garcia to “take care of our countrymen who are coming home.”
“But we are not being complacent because we need to examine them. Our doctors and PCG medical officers are ready to make sure no one is sick,” he added in Filipino.
Supervised quarantine is needed
At least one of these cruise ships spent weeks floating on Philippine waters and in isolation, waiting for permission to dock so their Filipino crew can come home.
Linda* previously told Philstar.com they have not had anyone join their voyage since March and have been practicing social distancing on board their luxury cruise ship.
She shared that they are worried and anxious of their families. Linda said she has not been able to send money to her children in Pampanga for nearly two months because they were not allowed to go ashore even when they were in Australia. That meant no trips to remittance centers.
But these long weeks on sea travel do not count.
Balilo explained: “Based on the regulation being implemented by the [Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases], supervised quarantine is needed. We should be the ones implementing the quarantine.”
“PCG is implementing supervised quarantine,” he added.
The PCG spokesperson also said there are more cruise ships scheduled to arrive, but shipping companies are still coordinating with the Philippine government, Balio added.
He also asked Filipino OFWs who are already in quarantine to strictly follow isolation guidelines. Members of the Philippine National Police and PCG are stationed at the quarantine facilities to observe whether guidelines are followed.
“If you are caught leaving or going out, your quarantine period will be back to zero,” he added.
*The Filipina crew member requested anonymity, citing company policy.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the bill that grants him special powers to address the novel coronavirus outbreak in the Philippines. Bookmark this page for updates.
Strategies proposed by the inter-agency taskforce against the COVID-19 pandemic need the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says.
He made the statement after news of a shift to "granular" lockdowns that will be first implemented in the National Capital Region starting September 8.
The government should extend 'Bayanihan 2', the legislation intended to address the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Akbayan says as it joins the call of labor groups SENTRO and NAGKAISA for an extension.
"Millions of Filipinos are still without work thanks to the pandemic. Add the fact that the country is under recession for the first time since the Marcos years, and it becomes imperative that the State step in and continue to provide aid," the party-list says.
"We echo the view that terminating Bayanihan 2 now will push more Filipino families towards hunger and desperation. The government must realize that without a sustained comprehensive economic aid plan, people will be forced to leave their houses to get food, medicine and supplies, which increases the risk of getting COVID. And with hotspots multiplying outside the NCR, extending Bayanihan 2 is not only logical, but necessary," it also says.
The government should increase efforts to inform people about the benefits of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 instead of threatening to jail those who refuse or telling them to leave the country, Akbayan says.
"Mr. Rodrigo Duterte cannot jail his way out of this pandemic. Neither can he expel COVID-19 by throwing out of the country Filipinos who are hesitant of the vaccines. It is both sad and ironic that in the middle of a catastrophe, the President is so quick to threaten to expel his own people, yet chooses to remain silent on Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea," Dr. RJ Naguit, Akbayan spokesperson, says in a release.
"The global health crisis is not simply a law and order problem. The virus cannot be contained by penal servitude. This is exactly the simplistic and violent approach that continues to divide this country, the idea that there are only two kinds of people, those who obey, and those who don't. There is far more to this crisis than that," he says.
The government has often used the "pasaway" narrative, saying people are stubborn and do not follow guidelines, to explain surges in COVID-19 cases and other issues related to the pandemic. This, despite top government officials being among those often seen flouting the same safety guidelines.
Face shields are no longer required when leaving home, the Palace says.
People will still need to wear face shields in public transportation, markets and indoor establishments.
This change in policy comes after President Rodrigo Duterte told senators that the face shields should only be worn in hospital settings.
Prior to the president's remarks, agencies, inlcuding the Palace had insisted on the use of face shields, claiming wearing them over face masks is almost as good as being vaccinated against COVID-19.
A total of 1,415 golf workers in Metro Manila have received cash aid from the DOT and DOLE as part of the Bayanihan 2 act.
The golf caddies, golf workers and employees in five major golf clubs in the capital region received almost P7.075 million.
“For the beneficiaries of the cash assistance program with us today, I hope that this amount can help you and your families in this difficult time," Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat says.
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