Twenty-two Filipino seafarers returned to the Philippines on Sunday, 30 August, after being repatriated from Ukraine following a missile attack on their vessel in the Black Sea.

The seafarers arrived aboard Turkish Airlines Flight TK084 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

They were welcomed by Department of Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary for Sea-Based OFW Concerns Augusto San Diego III, officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Manila International Airport Authority medical team.

The returning seafarers also received financial assistance from the AKSYON Fund under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s UPLIFT initiative to address their immediate needs.

The crew members were aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier M/V Antonia S when it was struck by a missile on 19 August while berthed at Chornomorsk, Ukraine.

Local authorities evacuated the crew to a designated shelter inside Chornomorsk Port following the attack. They remained there while arrangements were made for temporary accommodation and their eventual repatriation.

San Diego reminded seafarers of their right to refuse to sail when conditions pose a serious threat to their safety and urged them to seek assistance from authorities when necessary.

He also called attention to other Filipino seafarers working in high-risk and warlike areas and expressed hope for an end to armed conflicts that continue to endanger lives at sea.

The Filipino captain thanked a foreign security officer aboard the vessel whose warning about the incoming attack gave the crew time to move to the upper deck and take precautionary measures before the missile struck.

Following their return, the seafarers will undergo medical and psychological assessments arranged by their licensed manning agency to address their physical and psychosocial needs after the incident.

The DMW reminded licensed manning agencies and their accredited principals to continuously monitor the welfare of deployed Filipino seafarers and observe required safety precautions and protocols in high-risk areas.