The SUN HK : Pinoy seafarers stranded in HK set to go home in time for Christmas

By Daisy CL Mandap

The 6 remaining crew of M/V Angelic Glory hope to be home for Christmas

“To be finally home with your family this Christmas....priceless!”

This Facebook post of Consul General Raly Tejada best captures the situation of a group of Filipino seafarers who are due to fly home tomorrow, Dec 15, after being stuck at sea off Hong Kong for nearly three months.

According to Congen Tejada, the Filipino crew of M/V Angelic Glory were stranded after their ship became the subject of a legal proceeding.

Pindutin para sa detalye

He reported about the impending departure of the six crew members, along with a letter from the elated Filipinos profusely thanking him, Consul Paul Saret and Welfare Officer Virsie Tamayao, for working on their return home.

“(Mula) sa mga bumubuo ng mga tripulanteng Filipino ng barkong M/V Angelic Glory na naka ankla mula pa noong 13 September 2020 sa baybaying teritoryo ng Hong Kong (nagpapasalamat kami) lalo na kay Mr Raly Tejada, Mr Paul Saret at Miss Virsie Tamayao sa kanilang pagpupursige at malugod nilang adhikain na matulungan kaming makauwi sa ating Inang Bayan 15 December 2020.

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(From all the Filipino crew of the M/V Angelic Glory that has been moored since Sept 13, 2020 off the shore of Hong Kong, we would like to thank Mr Raly Tejada, Mr Paul Saret and Miss Virsie Tamayao for their relentless effort and determined effort to help us return to our homeland on Dec 15, 2020)

“Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon. Mabuhay po kayo PCG Hong Kong. Dumadagundong na pasasalamat po mula sa aming kaibuturan. (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Long live PCG Hong Kong. An avalanche of thanks from the bottom of our hearts).

Letter sent by the grateful sea crew to PCG officials shared by Congen Tejada

The letter was signed by all the six crew members, including the vessel’s chief engineer.

According to Consul Saret, there were originally 16 Filipino crew members, along with a couple of Greek ones.

Pindutin para sa detalye

“Two went home early last month due to medical reasons, then followed by eight last month whose positions were not too vital for the basic maintenance of the ship, then the six tomorrow,” he explained.

Congen Tejada said the seafarers were well provided for the entire duration of their stay aboard the vessel.

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“May supply na dumarating lagi kaya lang di sila makaalis dahil kelangan tauhan ang barko at may collectibles din sila,” he said. (The supplies kept coming, but they couldn’t leave because someone had to man the ship, and also because they had collectibles from management)

“Pero of course, gusto na din nila makauwi dahil matagal na din sila sa laot at syempre, Pasko.” (But of course they wanted to go home already because they had been at sea for a long time, and it’s Christmas).

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Acting on the crew’s request, the Consulate spoke with their manning agency in Hong Kong and relayed the message that the stranded men were desperate to be home, so the agent should start getting replacements for them.

In July this year, six container ships with about 120 sailors on board were put under quarantine off Lamma island after some of their crew members tested positive on arrival in Hong Kong, prior to boarding their respective vessels.

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Hong Kong health officials said then that among the seafarers who tested positive were Filipinos.

However, the M/V Angelic Glory was apparently not one of those ships. According to Congen Tejada, no one among its crew was infected with the virus, and all the quarantined ships had long left.