Filipino Crew Member Commits Suicide On Cruise Ship
A Filipino crew worker attempted suicide and succumbed on a cruise ship which is docked in Barbados. The 28-year-old Mariah Jocson was found dead in her cabin in the cruise ship Harmony of the Seas.
The incident marks the second toll of self-harm cases among the overseas Filipinos seafarers.
Teodoro Locsin Jr, the foreign secretary announced the death of crew member. Her extended stay on board was due to the suspension of repatriation flights to the Philippines. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has not yet disclosed any details about the incident.
According to the local news, the cruise ship docked Bridgetown Port on May 27. The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship is currently sailing on the Caribbean Sea and its destination is listed as “drifting”, according to a website Vessel Finder.
On May 24 there was another reported case of suicide at Philippine Oversees Labor office shelter, Lebanon.
Since the start of the pandemic around 50,000 overseas Filipinos have been repatriated to the homeland, most of them either COVID-stricken or jobless or both. This has left the government with the ‘burden’ of arranging for the tests and quarantine facility for all of them.
Thousands of Filipinos are stuck in Metro Manila owing to delays and ambiguity in quarantine procedures. Due to such a situation, the National Task Force directed to limit international arrivals. As a result, many flights have got cancelled.
Despite the government order that gave direction to take the repatriates home in just 5 days after their arrival, many remain stranded in Manila where they wait for transport to get back home.
The rising number of suicides may be possibly due to logistical challenges, travel restrictions imposed by countries and changing policies about repatriating their citizens. This, in turn, results in the ambiguity and confusions among the crew members over their return and chances is that they suffer from a sense of isolation, depression and frustration.
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Rest in peace, young lady. It is sad that restrictions of various governments related to Covid-19 lead to such desperate outcome with our fellow crew.
Ships are of course a safe place to be during such an outbreak, but the mental state of an isolated person can quickly fall as low as to the bottom of the seas.
Support seaman, especially those, that are not used to such long “lockdowns”.
Alot of Filipinos taking suicide bcoz the system in Philippines are not stable of thier decisions,today like saying that there’s flight and after awhile you’re there at the airport cancelled and ofw suffering alot really,waiting when ti go back home thier families and it’s really stressful and I’m so upset,bcoz I’m ofw and I can feel them,I cant understand why government cant let this ofw or non ofw go back home,why they need to stock people there,its really like so sad that it happened to ofw and the rest of the people who are there suffering from famine and hunger which they dont deserved it,they work so hard in abroad and yet in their own land they suffer most double the pain which they where in abroad.hope the government will do action to this and let people send back home to thier families.
I didn’t like the word “burden” that was used in this article. Was it the fault of the seafarers why they need to be tested and quarantined? It’s for the safety of everyone right? And besides, the seafarers bring income not just to their families, but also to the country. Every year, the seafarers risk their lives, safety and even adjusted to a life apart from their families, just to stay employed and not contributing to the unemployment rate of the country. And it is their right as a citizen, contributing income to the country, to be quarantined and tested by the government, and this shouldn’t be considered by anyone as a “burden”.
They..the elite of the world.. don’t care about them. They are happy for them to die. It’s all a big hoax to lower population numbers but even more so to bring in some nasty agendas..cashlessnes the start,abortion laws extended to full term, and the NEW World Order & One World religious system!
This is a time like no other to turn to Jesus Christ! God has the answers..He is still sovereign. Don’t fear..look to Him. He is coming for His people very soon.
Philippine Government is riding with OFW in good time.. Bad times.. Let alone OFW suffers… I had seen so many.. I had experiences so many.. It is all bloody red tapes and unreliable government agencies… I am OFW for 40 years and been everywhere… PH government sickness worst than C19