261 distressed Filipino seafarers repatriated
Cacdac said more Filipino seafarers had expressed their intention to return to the Philippines amid rising tensions in the Black Sea.
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Cacdac said more Filipino seafarers had expressed their intention to return to the Philippines amid rising tensions in the Black Sea.
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The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Tuesday that 261 of 400 Filipino seafarers have been repatriated after their vessels were hit by drone attacks in the Black Sea amid fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the seafarers were aboard 27 ships hit in separate attacks.
“We are continuously monitoring the situation. Mostly unharmed. Of the 400 seafarers, 381 are unharmed,” Cacdac said.
Cacdac said more Filipino seafarers had expressed their intention to return to the Philippines amid rising tensions in the Black Sea.
“There were also those who hinted that they did not want to proceed to the northern Black Sea due to the severity of the situation,” he added.
Cacdac said the DMW, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, would provide assistance, including repatriation and financial aid.
Families of affected seafarers have also received assistance, including psychosocial support and educational aid for children of those killed.
According to the DMW, three Filipino seafarers have died and 15 others were injured in the Black Sea attacks.
The DMW earlier urged shipowners and licensed manning agencies to reroute vessels away from high-risk and warlike areas, including the Black Sea, to protect Filipino seafarers.
