48 more crew members from ill-fated Italian liner arrive in Manila

Another batch of 48 Filipino crew members of the ill-fated luxury liner “Costa Concordia” returned to the country before noon Saturday, even as another batch was due to return in the afternoon.   The crew members included one who was injured and had to be on a wheelchair upon arriving home, according to a report on “Balitanghali.”   The repatriated crew members arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 aboard a Cathay Pacific flight, the report added.   Another batch of 50 was scheduled to arrive Saturday afternoon.   Still in Rome are a couple who were injured when the “Costa Concordia” listed and settled half-sunken in shallow water, the report said.   On hand to welcome the crew members were officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Department of Labor and Employment.   Representatives of the seafarers’ manning agencies were also on hand to welcome the crew members.   Malacañang and the DFA hailed the Filipino crew members for showing a sense of bayanihan and for their professionalism. — LBG, GMA News