36 Filipino fishermen stranded over 2 months in Fiji return home – DFA

Thirty-six Filipino fishermen stranded in Fiji for more than two months have returned to the country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday. The DFA said the stranded fishermen safely arrived at the Davao International Airport through a special chartered flight on November 5. The men were crew members of Chinese-operated fishing boats, who were scheduled to return to the Philippines last August. However, 19 of them tested positive for COVID-19 prior to their flight. “Apart from making arrangements for the fishermen’s repatriation and Philippine entry protocol requirements, quarantine amenities, and COVID-19 tests, they were also provided with welfare assistance of food and other essential items while still stranded in Fiji and awaiting their rescheduled flight,” the DFA said in a statement. The 19 fishermen who tested positive for COVID-19 received P10,000 financial aid under the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration’s (OWWA) Alagang Kabayan Project, while the rest received P5,000 assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The DFA said the repatriation was conducted in cooperation with other agencies including the Philippine Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand, comprised of its Assistance-To-Nationals Unit, its Philippine Overseas Labor Office, OWWA representation, and the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Suva, Fiji. The team also coordinated with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and OWWA in Manila, and received support from the Filipino community in Fiji. -- Richa Noriega/BAP, GMA News

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