14 Pinoy seafarers repatriated

Fourteen Filipino seafarers arrived safely in the Philippines on Monday, days after being rescued from a container ship that sank following a maritime drone attack in the Black Sea.

The crew members landed at Clark International Airport aboard Qatar Airways Flight QR926 from Doha, Qatar, completing a swift repatriation coordinated by government agencies.

The container ship was en route to Constanța, Romania, from Haifa, Israel, when it was struck by three maritime drones on 28 October, according to maritime reports.

All 18 crew members aboard — 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians — were evacuated in a rescue operation conducted by the Bulgarian Navy and border police.

The crew was transported to the port city of Varna for medical evaluation before the vessel ultimately sank, the Bulgarian Maritime Administration confirmed.

While in Varna, the Filipino crew members stayed at a local hotel while Bulgarian authorities conducted interviews and processing for their return flights.

Upon arrival at Clark, personnel from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Regional Welfare Office III provided airport assistance and movement support. OWWA officials stated that post-repatriation services, including financial and psycho-social assistance, remain available to the returning workers.