Rappler
Gov’t promises action on seafarers stranded in China for 17 months
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the DFA's Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) to arrange repatriation for 13 Filipino seafarers stranded in China aboard the MV Angelic Power.
The seafarers have been on the vessel for 17 months, reportedly abandoned by its owners due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the seafarers highlighted their mental suffering and financial difficulties due to the prolonged situation.
The crewmembers also claimed their agency, Magsaysay Maritime Corporation (MMC), has been withholding their salaries since the start of 2021.
Government agencies have promised action, with the DFA's Arribas attempting to coordinate with Chinese authorities.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Bernard Olalia guaranteed that the seafarers are entitled to receive their basic salaries even if their contract expired while they were stranded.
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