None of the 38 Filipino workers aboard the MV Hondius have shown signs of hantavirus infection, the Department of Migrant Workers reported Sunday evening, bringing some relief to families waiting for news from the Netherlands.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, who traveled to meet with Dutch government counterparts, said daily testing has produced consistent results since the workers entered quarantine.
“I need to emphasize na bahagi nung nalaman namin nung nandun sila. Sila ay tested negative. Every day pala, may testing sa kanila. All of them have tested negative so far at walang symptomatic sa kanila,” Cacdac said.
The 38 OFWs — 29 men and nine women — are split between two quarantine sites. Twenty-one hotel crew members are isolating at an Amsterdam hotel, while 17 others, comprising 14 deck and engine crew and three hotel staff, are confined at a port facility in Rotterdam. Their 40-day quarantine period is scheduled to conclude on June 18.
Cacdac said his meetings with Dutch officials focused on the workers’ welfare, monitoring arrangements, and plans for their eventual return home. “Makausap yung mga Dutch Government counterparts natin, patungkol sa kwarantina patungkol sa monitoring ng well being ng mga OFW seafarers natin sa quarantina at patungkol din sa napipintong pag-uwi nila,” he said.
Whether the workers will face another quarantine round upon landing in the Philippines remains unresolved. Cacdac deferred the decision to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and the Department of Health, which is coordinating with the Dutch Ministry of Health to align protocols with Philippine health regulations. “We need to clarify this with Sec. Ted Herbosa and the DOH. Mayroon nang paunang tugon sila Sec. Ted dito. Rest assured, there will be ready protocols pag-uwi nila,” Cacdac said.
DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina confirmed that the workers have continued receiving their salaries throughout the quarantine. “Yung mga salaries po nila 80% nun has been allotted directly to the beneficiaries dito sa Pilipinas. To simply answer the question, yes, they have been paid their monthly salaries,” he said.
The MV Hondius, a polar expedition vessel operated by Oceanwide Expeditions, docked in Rotterdam earlier this week after a voyage that began April 1 in Ushuaia, Argentina, and passed through remote South Atlantic islands, Cape Verde, and Tenerife before heading north. Hantavirus, which spreads through rodent contact, has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment.
