Four hundred and forty-four Filipino crew members and six passengers from the Grand Princess, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship that was docked in Port of Oakland, have arrived safely in the Philippines on March 15th.
Prior to their disembarkation, Filipino American activists joined other maritime workers and their unions in advocating for their safe repatriation.
In a joint effort by the U.S. and Philippine governments, upon disembarkation, the Filipino crew members and passengers went through screenings by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The process to get the Philippine nationals off the ship and onboard the plane was overseen by the Philippine consulate in San Francisco.
But activists said there should have been more transparency during the process and want to make sure the workers are taken care of.
“We hope that the Philippine government helps ensure that their rights are protected as seafarers that they get proper and fair, appropriate compensation according to the labor contracts that they signed.” Continue reading here