The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday that processes are now being arranged for the repatriation of the nine Filipino seafarers held by Houthi forces.
“We are glad that our seafarers are already set to come home… the processes have been arranged and we are looking forward to their repatriation,” DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay said.
The agency added that DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac is currently in Oman following his visit to Hong Kong to check on the overseas Filipino worker injured in the Tai Po fire incident.
This development follows the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) announcement on Tuesday confirming that the seafarers will be released and transferred from Sana’a, Yemen to Muscat, Oman.
“The Philippine Embassy in Muscat and the Migrant Workers Office-Muscat will make arrangements for the safe and immediate return of the Filipinos to the Philippines,” the DFA said.
In July, the DMW confirmed that the nine seafarers who survived the sinking of the Liberia-flagged MV Eternity C were being held by the Houthis.
On 29 July, a Houthi propaganda video surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) showing the survivors and featuring testimonies from several Filipino crew members.