ORION, Bataan: The Department of Transportation (DoTr) on Saturday announced the start of the Port of Capinpin here as the first ship crew change hub outside Metro Manila. DoTr Undersecretary Raul del Rosario said the first to benefit were 10 outgoing and 11 new boarding crews of cargo vessel MT Alphine Liberty with a registry at Marshal Islands in Majuro and coming from Dalian, China. Del Rosario said what the DoTr implemented was seafarer crew change, following the country’s commitment with the green lane protocol. This, he said, is an international protocol where the crew change of a certain vessel is facilitated. He said when their contracts expire, seafarers have to leave the boat and be replaced. He explained that the One Stop Shop Covid-19 protocols launched by DoTr will be implemented in Port Capinpin. “Pagbaba ng seafarer, sisiguraduhin nating wala silang dalang virus at dadaan sila sa examination ng Bureau of Quarantine at sa RT-PCR swab test dito mismo sa port (Upon the disembarkation of seafarers, we will ensure that they have no virus and that they undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction swab test right here at the port),” he said. Outgoing seafarers have to undergo quarantine until the result of their test is known. If found negative, that will be the only time for them to go home to their families. But if they test positive, they have to stay in isolation facilities.
