Pinoys from cash-strapped casino ship in US arrive home

A total of 44 Filipino seafarers working in a bankrupt casino ship docked in the United States arrived home Thursday, amid assurances from Philippine officials of assistance in getting their back pay. Radio dzBB's Manny Vargas reported that the 44 arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on a flight from the United States. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said it spent $37,500 (P1.734 million) to repatriate the 44 seafarers. OWWA head Carmelita Dimzon said they will go after Pacific International Shipping Agency, the Manila-based manning agency that recruited the seafarers. Dimzon noted the firm had refused to help in the repatriation of the Filipinos. She also said her office is working to get an assurance from the owner of the casino ship that the seafarers will get their back pay. According to Dimzon, the government had negotiated with US immigration authorities to extend the expiry of the seafarers’ visas in time for their departure, and to allow the seafarers to leave from Miami to Manila via Los Angeles. The repatriation came five months after MV Palm Beach Princess declared bankruptcy and was kept docked at the Port of Palm Beach, Florida (not Port of Miami as earlier reported). Reports said the ship owner had fallen behind payment of salaries and had refused to obtain plane tickets for its foreign crew members. In September 2009, the company claimed bankruptcy and threatened to divert its crew to Haiti where the ship would be furloughed. The 44 repatriated seafarers were part of the original batch of 65 Filipinos affected by the ship’s bankruptcy. But the ship owner had issued fares and settled back wages for 21, leaving the 44 stranded in Miami. The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration suspended the local manning agency that recruited the crew for refusing to repatriate the seafarers. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV