The Department of Migrant Workers confirms that Filipino seafarers aboard two vessels attacked near the Strait of Hormuz remain unharmed amid heightened regional tensions.
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has assured that all Filipino crew members aboard two ships targeted in recent bomb attacks in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz are safe. DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac reported that within the last 48 hours, three vessels were struck by projectiles or unidentified bombs, but only two had Filipino seafarers onboard. One ship had 21 Filipino crew members, and the other had 17, with all confirmed safe and currently being transferred to a safer port. The third ship, a Thai flagship, had no Filipino crew on board.
Secretary Cacdac emphasized the ongoing monitoring of Filipino seafarers in the Middle East, noting approximately 7,313 Filipinos currently deployed in the region have been marked as safe. He urged shipowners and manning agencies to uphold the rights and safety of seafarers, including honoring their right to refuse sailing in dangerous areas, with compensation guidelines under international maritime labor agreements.
In response to ongoing conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran affecting maritime routes, the Philippine government is organizing chartered flights to repatriate over 300 Filipinos expressing the desire to return home. Thus far, 110 overseas Filipino workers have already been repatriated.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/balitambayan/pinoyabroad/979776/pinoy-crew-ligtas-sa-pinakabagong-pag-atake-sa-2-barko-sa-strait-of-hormuz-dmw/story/