Pinoy seafarer expresses anger over Filipinos who blame sailors for COVID-19

A seafarer has expressed her dismay with fellow Filipinos who blame sailors for the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

According to JP Soriano's report on "24 Oras", Arbie Rose Dianne Cutad called out Filipinos who discriminate against seafarers.

"Let me tell you this one time, ang kapal po ng mukha niyo para sabihin sa amin na kami 'yung nagdadala ng virus sa Pilipinas at wala kaming karapatan umuwi," Arbie  said on Facebook.

Some residents have recently rejected the idea of a converting a hotel into a quarantine facility repatriated Filipino seafarers.

This was hurtful for Arbie, who has been working as a chef for two cruise liners abroad for almost seven years.

Arbie said that she and many Filipino seafarers had worked hard in cruise ships for their families in the Philippines. She also pointed out the contribution of their money remittances in the country's economy.

She stressed the cleanliness of their cruise ships, adding that hygiene protocols were especially cautious.

"This video is for those people na hunghang. Hindi ko na po kayang manahimik. Hindi na namin kayang manahimik on behalf of the seafarers and OFWs. Grabe kayo," Arbie said.

Arbie said that it hurt to face discrimination even as the government and manning agencies worked to bring them home.

"Hindi lang po ako. Milyon kaming mga Pilipino, milyon kaming mga Pilipino na umaasa sa inyo sana, sa pag-unawa niyo kasi kami, gustong-gusto namin umuwi," Arbie said.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Hans Cacdac has previously said that policies dictate that no city or municipality may prevent an overseas Filipino worker from returning to their homes.

"May mga naglalagay ng placards, signage, may mga barangay dito na hindi tumatanggap ng mga dinadala lang naman ng manning agency o ng OWWA sa mga hotel ay 'yun naman po ay nai-coordinate naman natin sa DILG," Cacdac said.

"'Yun nga lang talagang dumadaan lang sa mga ganung klaseng pagsubok na hinaharang sila sa una pero pinapayagan naman sa huli," he added.

OWWA has also ensured transportation services and beneficiaries for OFWs and seafarers who were affected by the COVID-19.

According to OWWA, all Filipino seafarers who are repatriated across the globe already have an approved quarantine facility from the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine.

The agency also assured that Filipinos seafarers which are repatriated are all asymptomatic or those with no symptoms of the virus.

More than 4,000 Filipino seafarers have been repatriated from 30 crew ships across the globe, according to the report.

This does not include the 58 crew members of the MV Carnival Panorama from the United States which arrived at the Ninoy Aquino Airport on Tuesday night.

All repatriates had been placed under the process of the Bureau of Quarantine before being transferred to their facility. -Joahna Lei Casilao/NB, GMA News