February 25, 2010 – Forty four seafarers repatriated by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration from Miami, Florida, arrived Thursday morning via Philippine Airlines flight PR 103.
OWWA Administrator Carmelita S. Dimzon reported to acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman that the 44 had sought Philippine government assistance to be repatriated from Miami.
The owner of the casino ship MV Palm Beach Princess fell behind payment of salaries and refused to obtain plane tickets for its foreign crew members. The company claimed bankruptcy in September 2009, and threatened to divert the crew to Haiti where the ship would be furloughed.
“The Philippine government responded to the workers’ request to help in negotiations because they will be left on their own once they get to Haiti,” Dimzon disclosed.
“They faced uncertainty in Haiti because the shipowner was already delinquent with payment of salaries and declined to provide plane tickets home.”
Upon instructions of acting Sec. Romeo Lagman, OWWA moved swiftly to repatriate the workers.
Within 14 days after the Philippine government received their request for assistance, OWWA overseas staff successfully negotiated the extension of their US transit visas to avoid their detention and to allow them to fly home through the Miami-Los-Angeles-Honolulu route.
Administrator Dimzon said also that negotiations in Miami with the shipowner resulted in a commitment that the Princess would pay all unpaid salaries and pay back OWWA for advancing the fares.
The Princess is docked temporarily in Miami. Many of its crew went on strike over deteriorating working conditions and salary issues in December 2009. The shipowners denied reports of pay issues.
OWWA, said Dimzon, has moved for the suspension by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) of the local manning agency that recruited the crew for reneging on its responsibility and refusing to repatriate the seafarers.
OWWA and POEA always act in close coordination to assist OFWs, she pointed out.
The 44 formed part of an original 65 Filipinos affected by the ship’s bankruptcy. The shipowner had issued fares and settled back wages for 21, leaving the 44 stranded in Miami.
Administrator Dimzon said also that the Philippine government successfully negotiated with the US immigration authorities (a) to extend the expiry of their visas in time for their departure, and (b) to allow the seafarers to leave US soil from Miami to Manila via Los Angeles.
US immigration officials agreed to the two requests on the Philippines’ guarantee of confirmed plane tickets for the workers from Miami and of close monitoring of boarding.
Dimzon credited Consul General Arturo Macatangay, OWWA Welfare Officer Adonis Alberto Duero, and Labor Attache Minda Padilla of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Washington DC for the successful negotiations with US immigration.
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