The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday confirmed that all 12 Filipino crew members aboard the Dutch-flagged cargo vessel Minervagracht are safe following a reported attack in the Gulf of Aden.
“Of the 12 Filipino crew members, two remain under medical care—one with minor injuries and another with serious but non-life-threatening injuries… Ten crew members, including those with minor injuries, are out of danger and expected to return home soon,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said.
“So far, the families, of course, want them home,” he added, explaining that the seafarers’ families have been informed of the incident and are receiving close support throughout the process.
The multinational crew of Filipino, Russian, Ukrainian, and Sri Lankan nationals has since been moved to a secure location. Additionally, the Filipino crew members will be transferred again for their scheduled flights home this weekend, where the country’s Labor Attaché is waiting to receive them.
A whole-of-government response, as directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will welcome the crew upon arrival.
They will also receive support services, including accommodation from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), financial aid and psychosocial counseling from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and medical checkups from the Department of Health (DOH).
Meanwhile, the DMW, in close coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the shipowners, continues to supervise the safe transfer and repatriation of the crew. It assured the public that it would keep monitoring the situation and provide all necessary support to ensure the well-being and safe return of all affected seafarers.
