Thousands of Filipino seafarers remain in high risk areas – DMW

MANILA, September 23 ------ Despite the ongoing war that escalated sea tensions since March, almost 3,000 Filipino seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf, the Department of Migrant Workers said.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac also said around 400 Filipino seafarers remain in the northern Black Sea, despite their ships being attacked. "We have prohibited boarding Filipino seafarers in ships navigating in the northern Black Sea, meron pa rin tayong naiulat, unfortunately. We will investigate," Cacdac said.

Cacdac said all remaining Filipino seafarers in these areas remain unharmed, but they are doing their best to repatriate affected crewmen whose lives remain at risk at sea. "It's a combination of both, there are drone and missile attacks. Iba iba yung nature of the attacks, yung iba hindi naman direct hit on the ship, merong attack na tumatama sa tubig, merong attack na dalawa ang missile, yung isa tumama sa tubig, yung isa sa barko," he said. "Every attack counts and has an impact to our seafarers regardless if large scale or small scale yung attacks," he added.

There are already three fatalities and one missing among Filipino seafarers that were recorded in the northern Black Sea, while the five were killed and one remained missing in the Strait of Hormuz. "I have personally visited all the families of the injured and deceased," Cacdac said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has also said he was worried about the seafarers and that the government was talking to countries not to bomb ships with Filipinos. Cacdac said more than 70 percent of the Filipino seafarers in these high-risk areas have already been repatriated, and they are expecting more to come home in the coming weeks.

The department has sent an advisory for seafarers to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, given the volatile situation. "As it stands, in the last 3 years, around 1,500 Filipino seafarers have exercised their right to refuse sailing, some of them Filipino captains who have stood firm for the protection of their seafarers, and not undertaken any voyages with their seafarers," the DMW said. Those who invoked their right to refuse sailing will be given repatriation for free and given compensation equal to two months worth of salary.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com