Crossworld Successfully Sends Stranded Seafarers Home
Being a seafarer is never easy, most especially during these difficult times when the COVID-19 pandemic affected the entire world. What’s usually a smooth transition to prepare for voyage has become troublesome to the maritime industry. Restrictions on crew change activities have been limited with suspension on most international and connecting flights, keeping crew stranded in quarantine facilities both local and international. This holds true even for repatriated seafarers who only wish to be back home with their families.
With the goal of helping repatriated and stranded seafarers on their voyage back home, Crossworld Group has extended its efforts to ensure that crew members get home healthy and safe. Constant communication and collaboration with Crossworld’s principals and the government’s OFW repatriation subtask group have played a vital role in expediting processes and compliance required.
Crossworld Operations Director initiated meetings with the subtask group to further clarify and discuss best approach in challenges encountered and how to resolve process and communication issues between agencies. This enabled Crossworld to achieve full compliance more efficiently with the required protocols and travel clearance requirements. Additionally, some of the discussed best approach protocols have been adopted by the subtask group led by Philippine Coast Guard.
After being stranded for more than a month, seafarers started with a new hope in returning home as the government’s One-Stop-Shop rolls out. Starting 3 May, Crossworld has submitted 20 crew members who have been accepted to start their process of returning home. For these seafarers, having to go through mandatory quarantine and rapid swab tests (RT-PCR) before receiving Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) clearance may be a tedious procedure, but a long-awaited hope to return home nonetheless.
As of 12 May, Crossworld was the first to successfully comply with the process and complete all required documents within 9 days of initial submission. Consequently, 11 crew members were accepted to voyage back to their hometowns in Bacolod, Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro. This was followed by 5 crew members who were cleared to board on 17 May and travel back to Dumaguete, Ozamis, and Zamboanga. Recognition given to IATF OFW repatriation subtask group, Philippine Coast Guard, MARINA, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Quarantine, OWWA, and Philippine Red Cross for enabling the government’s One-Stop-Shop for OFWs.
Successful as it seems, there is more work to do in completing the seafarer’s journey back home.
