ELEVEN Filipino seafarers from the cargo vessels M/V Winner and M/V Fehu are welcomed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport after safely returning to the Philippines following security incidents off the coast of Novorossiysk, Russia. Two crew members from M/V Winner arrived 25 August, followed by nine crew members from M/V Fehu on 26 August.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF OWWA/DMW
Two more Filipino seafarers from the commercial vessel M/V Winner returned safely to the Philippines following a drone strike near Novorossiysk, Russia.
The crew members arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 aboard Qatar Airways flight QR928, joining another crew member who arrived home on 22 August.
Representatives from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), along with airport medical personnel, met the seafarers upon arrival to provide immediate financial aid, medical screenings and logistical support.
DMW and OWWA officials directed the crew’s manning agency, LT Marine Offshore Services Inc., to conduct comprehensive medical and psychological debriefings while expediting all applicable benefits and compensation due to the workers.
Following the repatriation, the DMW reiterated its call for manning agencies to monitor crew conditions closely and adhere strictly to maritime safety protocols for vessels navigating high-risk areas in the Black Sea.
