21 seafarers back from Houthi ordeal

Twenty-one Filipino seafarers rescued following a missile attack by Houthi rebels on their vessel, the MV Tutor, in the Gulf of Aden arrived safely in the Philippines on Monday.

The seafarers landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at approximately 11:17 a.m. via Gulf Air flight GF154 from Bahrain. They were accompanied by Labor Attaché Hector Cruz of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) office in Al Khobar.

Each of the repatriated seafarers received financial aid amounting to 192 Bahraini dinars (P30,000) before their departure from Bahrain, according to the DMW.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre, and officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Department of Health (DoH).

“Unfortunately, one crew member of the MV Tutor is still missing,” Cacdac said. “The government will not stop until the missing Filipino seafarer is recovered.”

The Tutor’s captain, Christian Domarique, expressed his gratitude to the Philippine government for its efforts in ensuring the safe return of his crew.

The Office of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, along with the DMW, OWWA, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), provided additional cash assistance of P230,000 to each of the repatriated seamen.

The attack on the Tutor by Houthi rebels highlighted the ongoing risks faced by commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden, a region plagued by maritime security threats.

The Philippines, a major supplier of seafarers to the global shipping industry, continues to work closely with international and local authorities to ensure the safety and security of its citizens working at sea.

It has issued guidelines that say Filipino seafarers may refuse to serve on vessels that would sail through dangerous waters like the Gulf of Aden.