The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is verifying the status of Filipino seafarers to determine whether any were among those reported injured following Israeli attacks on merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re monitoring the situation closely in the Strait of Hormuz. The seafarers are in constant communication through messaging platforms and other channels. We’re working closely with their licensed manning agencies and ship owners to ensure their safety and well-being,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said during a Palace briefing.

Cacdac said the agency has received reports of Filipino crew members expressing concern over dwindling food supplies as tensions in the region continue to escalate.

“Rest assured we’re helping them out and looking to get them out of there. As we have already mentioned, this is not the first time we handled a ship with seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz, so we are working with the agencies and ship owners to get them out of there,” Cacdac said.

Not yet a war zone

Cacdac said the Strait of Hormuz has not yet been declared a war zone based on the International Bargaining Forum, while the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain a war zone area.

He said the DMW will issue an advisory regarding Filipino seafarers who will sail on the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipbroker Poten & Partners said in a note to clients that vessel traffic through the strait has not been completely stopped, but disruptions are building rapidly, according to a Reuters report.

The report said tanker association Intertanko said the US Navy had warned against navigation in the whole of the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, saying it could not guarantee the safety of shipping.

Greece’s shipping ministry, on the other hand, advised vessels on Saturday to avoid the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz.

IMO condemnation

Also on Monday, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aired concern about the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, as some seafarers were reportedly hurt following attacks on vessels plying the route.

In a report by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations posted by independent provider of global energy and commodity market intelligence Argus, as of 2 March explosive projectiles hit two more ships near the Strait of Hormuz, bringing the total vessel attacks to three.

“One tanker was struck 50 nautical miles (nm) north of Muscat, Oman, leading to a fire in the engine room that is now reportedly under control. A second was hit 17-nm northwest of Mina Saqr, UAE, leading to a fire that was subsequently extinguished. This was in addition to a strike on a Palau-flagged chemicals and oil products tanker earlier on Sunday,” the report said.

One more vessel that was 35-nm west of Sharjah, UAE, reported a projectile explosion nearby that had no impact, the report added.

IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez said he was deeply concerned by reports that several seafarers have been injured in attacks on merchant vessels.

“No attack on innocent seafarers or civilian shipping is ever justified. These crews are simply doing their jobs and must be protected from the effects of wider geopolitical tensions,” Dominguez said. -30-