MAGSAYSAY is confirming the safe arrival and repatriation of Filipino crew members from the Grand Princess earlier today, Monday the 16th. 438 crew members and 6 passengers –all Filipino nationals –of the cruise ship arrived at the Clark Airbase in Pampanga via a chartered flight from San Francisco International Airport. 13 crew members, who were medically isolated earlier onboard the ship, remained in the U.S. for treatment at a care facility. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducted health screenings on all the repatriates upon disembarkation from the cruise ship in Oakland, California.
All the repatriates are currently at the Athletes’ Village, New Clark City –the identified 14-day quarantine facility. Lead agencies for the repatriation include the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Quarantine, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) composed of various government agencies.
The safety, health, and well-being of guests and crew members continues to be the top priority of Princess Cruises and Magsaysay. Princess Cruises is in regular contact with Magsaysay about updates regarding the Filipino crew members. Magsaysay also updates their families as soon as information about their loved ones becomes available. Because of the number of Filipino crew members, this activity is on-going. Magsaysay values the privacy and confidentiality of the identities of crew and their families and is in close contact with the DOH, DFA, DOLE, POEA, OWWA, and other government agencies, updating them of developments, to ensure the safety and well-being of all our Filipino crew members from the Grand Princess.
Further updates will be shared as it becomes available.