14 Filipino seafarers rescued from drone attack return home

Fourteen Filipino seafarers rescued after their container ship sank following a drone attack off the Black Sea were scheduled to return to the Philippines on Monday, 2 November.

The Filipino crew members were among 18 seafarers rescued by Bulgarian authorities after their Liberian-flagged vessel was struck by a drone on 28 October while sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanta, Romania. They were safely transferred to the Bulgarian port of Varna.

The Labor Office of the Philippine Embassy in Budapest, represented by staff member Sheila May Navasquez, traveled to Varna to assess the seafarers’ condition, provide support and extend financial assistance while they were temporarily accommodated there.

The crew recounted that shortly after the first drone strike, their captain instructed them to jump into the water for their safety. The Filipino seafarers remained in the water for two to three hours before being rescued.

Ship Captain Andrey Bakholdin and Captain George Kazana, a management representative of the container line who assisted the crew after their rescue, praised the Filipinos as the best team and expressed their desire to work with them again.

Meanwhile, the government has provided 5,257 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Saudi Arabia with a total of 6,873 assistance services as of 2 November.

These included financial assistance to 5,164 workers, food aid to 659, land transportation assistance to 234, shelter assistance to 231 and medical assistance to 12.

The government also facilitated the repatriation of 560 OFWs and 13 dependents through 14 flights, providing support to Filipinos who wanted to return home.