Ten Filipino seafarers returned safely to the Philippines Friday after refusing to sail aboard the M/V Dema M through the Strait of Hormuz because of security risks along the route, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed Saturday.

The returning migrant workers were welcomed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City by Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary Venecio Legaspi, along with representatives of the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), who provided repatriation assistance.

Legaspi assured the seafarers that the DMW would continue protecting their rights, livelihoods and benefits.

“We are here to show, along with the DMW and our secretary, our support for your decision,” he said.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s UPLIFT initiative, the DMW recognizes the right of overseas Filipino workers, including seafarers, to refuse deployment on high-risk routes.

The policy forms part of government measures aimed at protecting the safety and welfare of OFWs and their families.

The DMW has repeatedly reminded licensed manning agencies and their accredited principals to monitor Filipino seafarers closely and ensure compliance with safety measures and protocols for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea.

Two Filipino seafarers had been killed in the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran conflict erupted, while another remains missing after a separate attack in March.

The two fatalities were among Filipino crew members aboard the Saudi-flagged tanker Sidr, which was hit by unidentified projectiles while transiting the strait on 31 August Fourteen Filipino crew members survived.