Twelve Filipino seafarers aboard a vessel attacked off the waters of Iraq are safe, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said, as the government continues repatriation efforts for Filipinos affected by the escalating Middle East crisis.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said shipowners and manning agencies have verified the safety of the 12 crew members, while more than 7,000 Filipino seafarers operating near the volatile Strait of Hormuz remain unharmed.
Monitoring systems are in place to track those navigating high-risk waters, Cacdac said.
The agency reiterated that key maritime corridors—including the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman—are classified as “war risk operations areas” due to ongoing hostilities.
Filipino seafarers may refuse deployment to vessels transiting these zones without penalty and are entitled to two months’ pay and employer-funded repatriation, the DMW said.
The Philippines, one of the world’s largest suppliers of maritime labor with about 400,000 seafarers deployed globally, continues to coordinate with international shipping partners and monitor developments to ensure the safety of Filipinos in conflict-affected areas.
As tensions persist, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said government-arranged flights to bring home affected Filipinos will continue.
“The instruction of the President is clear: to keep the humanitarian airlift going. Kaya itong Air DMW ni Secretary Hans itutuloy (So this Air DMW of Secretary Hans will continue),” Recto said.
In a statement, the Office of the Executive Secretary said nearly 1,100 Filipinos have so far boarded repatriation flights organized by the DMW, with some flights also serving as medical evacuations for ill passengers.
On Wednesday, the DMW reported that 125 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) with their dependents based in the Middle East safely returned to the Philippines. They arrived on Tuesday, March 17, via separate flights.
