MANILA – All overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) taking off for their posts abroad are allowed to acquire Covid-19 vaccination doses in Manila regardless whether they are non-residents.
Seafarers and other OFWs expected to deploy within the next four months, according to the National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19, can be accommodated.
Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso commended the national government for trusting the city with the inoculation during a symbolic vaccination for seafarers on Thursday at the Palacio de Maynila in Malate.
In his remarks to the seafarers, Domagoso said, “Ngayon bibiyahe kayo, nagpapasalamat kami dito sa lungsod ng Maynila na dito kayo babakunahan. Malugod namin kayong tinatanggap at (Now that you are traveling, we thank you that you are receiving your vaccines here in the city. We welcome you and) we are proud of you.”
Nearly 1,200 seafarers of the Magsaysay Maritime Corporation were immunized.
According to the Association of Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines, an estimated 30,000 seafarers will get vaccinated within the month.
“They say that Norwegians are good shipbuilders, British are good in navigation, but the best crew in the world is the Filipino crew. We are happy to be of service. Thank you for trusting the city of Manila,” Domagoso remarked in Filipino.
The ceremony was attended by Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Senator Joel Villanueva, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Hans Cacdac, and NTF deputy chief implementer Vince Dizon.
According to Bello, the global marine industry employs roughly 400,000 Filipino seafarers.
