The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to file a case against the manning agency responsible for four overseas Filipino worker (OFW) seafarers who were abandoned by their employer.

This was confirmed by DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac on Monday as he acknowledged that seafarers, particularly those in the fishing industry, were among the most vulnerable workers.

The four seafarers were rescued in San Diego, California, on 14 February. According to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, they were not paid and were abandoned by their employer in November. The authorities have not disclosed the names of the workers or their employer.

“We are bent on taking it [manning agency] to task for violating the rights, welfare, and working conditions of our seafarers,” Cacdac said.

While cases involving Filipino fishers are fewer than those of land-based workers, the DMW secretary said they remain the “most problematic” due to unscrupulous fishing operators.

To strengthen protections for OFW fishers, the DMW announced plans to introduce stricter regulatory standards this year, though specific improvements have yet to be detailed.

The move aligns with the Philippines’ ratification of the International Labor Organization’s Convention Against Violence and Harassment at Work, the first global treaty recognizing the right to a workplace free from abuse.

Shelters cleared

The DMW plans to issue formal guidelines on how these international protections will be enforced for OFWs.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government has cleared its three shelters in Beirut, Lebanon following the return of 131 OFWs last week, Cacdac said.

According to Cacdac, the 52 and 79 workers who arrived last Monday and Tuesday, respectively, were among the occupants of the three government-operated shelters in Beirut.

Their return brings the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon to 1,569 since the conflict there began in October 2023.

“For now, we have zero people in the shelters, but nevertheless, we keep our operations open,” the DMW secretary said.