Who is in charge?

Once again, the maritime industry is seeking for a categorical answer to the question: Who is in charge in the repatriation of Filipino seafarers who are coming home at this time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic?

Some may censure the question by saying this is not the time for fault-finding for the mess by which Filipino seafarers find themselves in going back home. Unlike land-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who came back because of the disruption in their jobs caused by Covid-19, most seafarers (in the navigation side) who are coming home have completed their employment contracts. There are too, those onboard cruise ships, whose employment contracts were pre-terminated and were sent back by their employers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although reports indicate they have encountered less difficulties in their repatriation.