Homecoming of stranded Pinoys in Iraq delayed
The homecoming of the two Filipino seamen stranded in Iraq since July hit a snag after the Iraqi State Agent refused to approve their release papers on Tuesday.
Rodolfo Limjap and Abril Ricablanca were supposed to take a ferry ride from Umm Qasr at 5 p.m. to the Port Rashid in Dubai, but last-minute appeals to concerned Iraqi authorities to release them were useless.
The 10 Indians who have been stranded with the two Filipinos were also not allowed to leave the port. “Please be advised that the release paper for all the crew (10 Indians + 2 Pinoys) was rejected by the Iraqi State Agent as they are not accepting any responsibility in case some problem will occur with the repatriation of all crew," said Renee Dominguiano, a Filipino assistant port manager of Inchcape Shipping Services, who has been helping Limjap and Ricablanca taken out of Iraq.
“We have tried our best and talked with concerned authorities for the release of the crew but (our efforts) were in vain," Dominguiano emailed to GMANews.TV at Tuesday night ( afternoon in Iraq). “We have decided to speak with the judge and asked him a favor to release the two Pinoys and one sick Indian crew (all them are ratings class).
This afternoon I sent my Iraqi colleague to the residence of the judge in Safwan, Iraq in order to get the release paper, and luckily we got the approval for the three persons at 5 p.m.," he said.“In order to complete the formalities, we have to bring the paper tomorrow morning to the office of the Iraqi State Agent to get a no-objection stamp.
The judge assures us this will be okay," Dominguiano said.“We have managed to solicit food for all the crew from Agility Logistics and the company is willing to help provide for food and water for the rest of the crew members," he added.“There will be another ferry tomorrow for Dubai and will depart here in Umm Qasr about 6 p.m. We will advise you once everything is settled tomorrow," he further said.
Limjap and Ricablanca, who have been stranded in Iraq since July and abandoned without money and food by their employer since September 1, have been sustained by donations of food and potable water by other Filipinos in the port city of Umm Qasr.A kind-hearted Filipino who simply wanted to be identified as a “concerned Pinoy from Umm Qasr" has agreed to provide for their Dubai-Manila plane tickets and pocket money.
The benefactor hosted dinner on Sunday and gave $500 each to Limjap and Ricablanca for their plane ticket, which would each cost roughly $300, and the rest for their pocket money.
Dominguiano brought the two seamen to their benefactor on Sunday afternoon.The two had been issued visa by the Philippine consulate in Dubai, and Dominguiano has been trying to arrange for their flight to Manila on November 1 via Qatar Airways, but with the delay in the approval of their release paper, their flight would have to be moved.If the two would be able to get out of Iraq tomorrow, they would be arriving in Dubai on Friday.
Limjap, 33, from Rosario, Cavite has a son who is turning three years old on Nov. 17 while Ricablanca, 35, from Iloilo City, has five children aged between three to 10. Dominguiano has assisted in securing the required documents and waiver of visa fees with the Umm Qasr Port Authority for their repatriation.
The two are among the crew of MV Pishgam, registered at St. Kitts & Nevis, but its real owner is an Iranian who had abandoned the ship when it got embroiled in a court case, Dominguiano said.MV Pishgam is under the management of Aries Shipping management, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) shipping company, and chartered by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines to take Dubai, Iran and Kuwait routes.The ship arrived in Umm Qasr on July 21 and a few days later, an Iraqi judge ordered a hold departure order for the vessel, stemming from a court case a consignee had filed in an Iraq court.
Philippine officials and agencies promptly responded to appeals for help through CMA executive director Ellene Sana who has been coordinating the efforts from early morning until late into the night.“I talked already to Limjap and his Indian captain.
Iraqi court may lift travel restrictions on Monday but (the ship) captain needs guarantees that ferry fares of two Filipino seamen are refunded and entry visas to Dubai arranged," said Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya on Saturday. “I sent already a report to DFA for immediate action.
"Endaya used to serve as charge d’affaires in Iraq before his transfer to Kuwait months ago.Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Marianito Roque also quickly responded to the request of CMA for assistance through the OWWA representatives in Dubai, which has agreed to shoulder the ferry fares of Limjap and Ricablanca from Umm Qasr to Dubai.
Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis; Crescente Relacion, executive director of DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA); charge d’affaires Wilfredo R. Cuyugan in Amman, Jordan; and Philippine consulate and labor officials in the United Arab Emirates have been helping process the repatriation of the two stranded seamen to Manila.
Limjap’s wife, Dizza dela Rosa, said their son Rodolfo Jr. has been praying to have his dad home when he turns three years old on Nov. 17.
"Talaga pong pinanghihinaan na ako ng loob kasi hindi ko na po alam kung ano ang gagawin ko kasi nagwo-worry na po ako sa asawa ko na nagkasakit na po.
‘Yung dumi n’ya po may dugo daw. Hindi naman daw po pwedeng dalhin sa hospital gawa ng delikado kaya dun lang daw po sila sa port," Dela Rosa said.
“Kahit po undocumented at ‘di nagdaan sa POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) ang asawa ko pinatos n’ya ang offer na direct hire kasi gusto n’ya po makaipon dahil gusto n’ya po ipagamot ang anak n’ya kasi ang baby po namin pag umiyak or nasasaktan biglang na ngingitim at hindi na nakakahinga," she explained.
“At ang isa pa po n’ya na reason ay gusto n’ya hanapin ang tatay n’ya kasi 29 years na po silang hindi nagkikita. Hindi n’ya po alam kung nasaan po. Sabi n’ya pag may ipon na s’ya madali n’ya magagawa ‘yun, kaso paano n’ya pa po magagawa ‘yun gayung kahit s’ya nasa delikadong sitwasyon," Dela Rosa said.
“Kaya din po n’ya tinanggap ‘yung trabaho na ‘yun kasi ang dami n’ya na po inaplayan dito wala po tumanggap sa kanya kasi wala po s’yang US visa kasi lahat po ng seaman na tinatangap ngayon ay ‘yung may mga US visa na daw po.
Sabi n’ya kung hindi n’ya daw po tatanggapin ‘yun paano n’ya pa raw po maipapagamot ang anak n’ya at paano n’ya pa rin daw po mahahanap ang tatay n’ya," Limjap’s wife added.
“Sana matulungan n’yo na makauwi ang asawa ko na may sakit. Hindi bale na po na hindi niya makuha ang sweldo niya ng eight months basta makauwi na lang po sila," she appealed.Ricablanca's sister, Melinda Valenzuela, said from Iloilo City that Ricablanca accepted the job in the Middle East out of desperation to earn a living for his family.
She said he did not have a regular job before leaving for abroad. “Nag-e-extra lang sa construction. Ang asawa wala ring trabaho." “We know they have been stranded but we do not know what to do. We don’t know where to go. We have no money," she said. She said Ricablanca is the 10th in a brood of 11.
Rodolfo Limjap and Abril Ricablanca were supposed to take a ferry ride from Umm Qasr at 5 p.m. to the Port Rashid in Dubai, but last-minute appeals to concerned Iraqi authorities to release them were useless.
The 10 Indians who have been stranded with the two Filipinos were also not allowed to leave the port. “Please be advised that the release paper for all the crew (10 Indians + 2 Pinoys) was rejected by the Iraqi State Agent as they are not accepting any responsibility in case some problem will occur with the repatriation of all crew," said Renee Dominguiano, a Filipino assistant port manager of Inchcape Shipping Services, who has been helping Limjap and Ricablanca taken out of Iraq.
“We have tried our best and talked with concerned authorities for the release of the crew but (our efforts) were in vain," Dominguiano emailed to GMANews.TV at Tuesday night ( afternoon in Iraq). “We have decided to speak with the judge and asked him a favor to release the two Pinoys and one sick Indian crew (all them are ratings class).
This afternoon I sent my Iraqi colleague to the residence of the judge in Safwan, Iraq in order to get the release paper, and luckily we got the approval for the three persons at 5 p.m.," he said.“In order to complete the formalities, we have to bring the paper tomorrow morning to the office of the Iraqi State Agent to get a no-objection stamp.
The judge assures us this will be okay," Dominguiano said.“We have managed to solicit food for all the crew from Agility Logistics and the company is willing to help provide for food and water for the rest of the crew members," he added.“There will be another ferry tomorrow for Dubai and will depart here in Umm Qasr about 6 p.m. We will advise you once everything is settled tomorrow," he further said.
Limjap and Ricablanca, who have been stranded in Iraq since July and abandoned without money and food by their employer since September 1, have been sustained by donations of food and potable water by other Filipinos in the port city of Umm Qasr.A kind-hearted Filipino who simply wanted to be identified as a “concerned Pinoy from Umm Qasr" has agreed to provide for their Dubai-Manila plane tickets and pocket money.
The benefactor hosted dinner on Sunday and gave $500 each to Limjap and Ricablanca for their plane ticket, which would each cost roughly $300, and the rest for their pocket money.
Dominguiano brought the two seamen to their benefactor on Sunday afternoon.The two had been issued visa by the Philippine consulate in Dubai, and Dominguiano has been trying to arrange for their flight to Manila on November 1 via Qatar Airways, but with the delay in the approval of their release paper, their flight would have to be moved.If the two would be able to get out of Iraq tomorrow, they would be arriving in Dubai on Friday.
Limjap, 33, from Rosario, Cavite has a son who is turning three years old on Nov. 17 while Ricablanca, 35, from Iloilo City, has five children aged between three to 10. Dominguiano has assisted in securing the required documents and waiver of visa fees with the Umm Qasr Port Authority for their repatriation.
The two are among the crew of MV Pishgam, registered at St. Kitts & Nevis, but its real owner is an Iranian who had abandoned the ship when it got embroiled in a court case, Dominguiano said.MV Pishgam is under the management of Aries Shipping management, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) shipping company, and chartered by Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines to take Dubai, Iran and Kuwait routes.The ship arrived in Umm Qasr on July 21 and a few days later, an Iraqi judge ordered a hold departure order for the vessel, stemming from a court case a consignee had filed in an Iraq court.
Philippine officials and agencies promptly responded to appeals for help through CMA executive director Ellene Sana who has been coordinating the efforts from early morning until late into the night.“I talked already to Limjap and his Indian captain.
Iraqi court may lift travel restrictions on Monday but (the ship) captain needs guarantees that ferry fares of two Filipino seamen are refunded and entry visas to Dubai arranged," said Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Ricardo Endaya on Saturday. “I sent already a report to DFA for immediate action.
"Endaya used to serve as charge d’affaires in Iraq before his transfer to Kuwait months ago.Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Marianito Roque also quickly responded to the request of CMA for assistance through the OWWA representatives in Dubai, which has agreed to shoulder the ferry fares of Limjap and Ricablanca from Umm Qasr to Dubai.
Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis; Crescente Relacion, executive director of DFA’s Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA); charge d’affaires Wilfredo R. Cuyugan in Amman, Jordan; and Philippine consulate and labor officials in the United Arab Emirates have been helping process the repatriation of the two stranded seamen to Manila.
Limjap’s wife, Dizza dela Rosa, said their son Rodolfo Jr. has been praying to have his dad home when he turns three years old on Nov. 17.
"Talaga pong pinanghihinaan na ako ng loob kasi hindi ko na po alam kung ano ang gagawin ko kasi nagwo-worry na po ako sa asawa ko na nagkasakit na po.
‘Yung dumi n’ya po may dugo daw. Hindi naman daw po pwedeng dalhin sa hospital gawa ng delikado kaya dun lang daw po sila sa port," Dela Rosa said.
“Kahit po undocumented at ‘di nagdaan sa POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) ang asawa ko pinatos n’ya ang offer na direct hire kasi gusto n’ya po makaipon dahil gusto n’ya po ipagamot ang anak n’ya kasi ang baby po namin pag umiyak or nasasaktan biglang na ngingitim at hindi na nakakahinga," she explained.
“At ang isa pa po n’ya na reason ay gusto n’ya hanapin ang tatay n’ya kasi 29 years na po silang hindi nagkikita. Hindi n’ya po alam kung nasaan po. Sabi n’ya pag may ipon na s’ya madali n’ya magagawa ‘yun, kaso paano n’ya pa po magagawa ‘yun gayung kahit s’ya nasa delikadong sitwasyon," Dela Rosa said.
“Kaya din po n’ya tinanggap ‘yung trabaho na ‘yun kasi ang dami n’ya na po inaplayan dito wala po tumanggap sa kanya kasi wala po s’yang US visa kasi lahat po ng seaman na tinatangap ngayon ay ‘yung may mga US visa na daw po.
Sabi n’ya kung hindi n’ya daw po tatanggapin ‘yun paano n’ya pa raw po maipapagamot ang anak n’ya at paano n’ya pa rin daw po mahahanap ang tatay n’ya," Limjap’s wife added.
“Sana matulungan n’yo na makauwi ang asawa ko na may sakit. Hindi bale na po na hindi niya makuha ang sweldo niya ng eight months basta makauwi na lang po sila," she appealed.Ricablanca's sister, Melinda Valenzuela, said from Iloilo City that Ricablanca accepted the job in the Middle East out of desperation to earn a living for his family.
She said he did not have a regular job before leaving for abroad. “Nag-e-extra lang sa construction. Ang asawa wala ring trabaho." “We know they have been stranded but we do not know what to do. We don’t know where to go. We have no money," she said. She said Ricablanca is the 10th in a brood of 11.
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