DFA, OWWA asked to expedite processing of travel documents of Filipino survivors in Pacific Ocean ship collision

The four Filipino survivors in the recent ship collision in the waters of Pacific Ocean appealed to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Thursday to help expedite the processing of their traveling documents so they could already go back to the Philippines.

In an Unang Balita interview, Jovencio Mariano, one of the survivors, explained they were not able to save any of their documents such as passports and seaman’s book when their ship, Korean Reefer Ship Momyo, sank following its collision with the Taiwanese vessel Viva Fafa on June 8.

Asked who among the Philippine authorities have coordinated with them after the incident, the four men said in unison, “Wala pa po (none).” They said only their company agents are currently assisting them.

“Humihingi po kami ng tulong sa OWWA at sa DFA, kung maari lang po mapabilis ‘yung paglabas ng exit visa namin para makauwi na kami sa pamilya namin dahil sabik na kami sa pamilya namin,” Marelio Bautista, another survivor said.

(We are asking the OWWA and DFA, maybe they could help speed up the issuance of our exit visa so that we can already go home to our family.)

Mariano and Bautista were among the 31 passengers of the Korean reefer hit by a Taiwanese vessel in the Pacific Ocean between Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island.

They said that all 31 of them, including Indonesian, Korean, Vietnamese and Ghanian crew, are safe from the incident.

In response, OWWA Administrator Hans Cacdac said they are just waiting for the four Filipino crew to finish their quarantine in Taiwan before they assist them in their return to the Philippines.

“Hinihintay lang natin syempre matapos ‘yung quarantine na ‘yun and then mauuwi natin sila nang ligtas (We are just waiting for their quarantine to be over, then they can go home safely). We also are in touch with the license manning agency and within the day, we will be in touch with all their families. So, no worries, they will be home safely and we will assure them of our full assistance,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

Cacdac said the survivors will also be provided with financial, livelihood, and school assistance by OWWA.

“Ang protocol natin diyan is iwui muna sila nang ligtas at the most basic. Once they are in the country, dito natin sila tutulungan nang lubos,” he added.

(Our protocol is for them to go home safely, and we will fully help them once they are in the country.)

GMA News Online also sought for the comment of DFA regarding the appeal of the four Filipino crew, but they are yet to respond as of posting time. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA News