InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - One hundred of the 296 Filipino crew members of the ill-fated Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground in Italy are set to arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in two batches today.
The first batch is scheduled to arrive at 10 a.m. onboard Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, while the second batch will arrive at 11:55 a.m. from Bangkok via Thai Airways.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Carmelita Dimzon said most of the remaining crew members are expected in Manila on Friday. Three injured crew members are expected to return as soon as they completely recover from their injuries in an Italian hospital.
Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Philippine embassy in Rome provided the Filipino crew members with travel documents for their return trip to Manila; their passports had been left onboard the submerged ship and are beyond recovery.
“The crew members of Costa Concordia have all been evacuated from the island and are now in the town of Grosseto in Tuscany Province. They are accommodated in three hotels prior to their repatriation to Manila,” Baldoz added.
She said the employer of the Filipino crew have provided repatriation assistance, including cash advances and under their seafarers employment contract, full payment of salaries and other benefits entitled to them.
Baldoz added that under the seafarers' contracts, employment deemed terminated in case of shipwreck, as in this case, or where voyage has been discontinued for various reasons, the seafarer is entitled to payment of wages until his arrival in Manila with corresponding payment for their earned leave pay, one month termination pay and repatriation expenses.
OWWA administrator Dimzon, a DFA representative, and their Philippine manning agency (Magsaysay Lines) will be on hand to assist the returning seafarers.
