The Philippine government has approved foreign cruise ships carrying Filipino crew to dock in Manila ports, the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases said on Thursday.

In a virtual press briefing, IATF Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the vessels would be used as quarantine facility for Filipino crew members subject to guidelines to be issued by the member-agencies of the sub task group for repatriation of overseas Filipino workers pursuant to their respective mandate.

"The foreign crew on board aforesaid foreign crew ships shall be allowed to disembark in Manila for the sole purpose of taking outbound flights to their final destination abroad as previously allowed pursuant to Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution #15 series of 2020 provided, such foreign crew have also completed the 14-day mandatory quarantine upon disembarkation," he said.

Nograles also said the Philippine Coast Guard has reported that two ships to be used as quarantine facilities have begun operations.

He said 90 Filipino repatriated seafarers from South Korea, Indonesia and Qatar have been staying in the ships.

Many Filipinos have been working in cruise ships. But they have lost their jobs due to coronavirus disease pandemic.

Carlito Galvez Jr., chief Iimplementer of the government's National Policy Against COVID-19, earlier said the government is preparing for the repatriation of up to 100,000 OFWs. Celerina Monte/DMS