MANILA - Twenty-two Filipino seafarers have returned to the Philippines after their bulk carrier was struck at a Ukrainian Black Sea port.
They arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Aug. 30 aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK084, according to the Department of Migrant Workers. Representatives of the DMW and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, along with the Manila International Airport Authority medical team, met them on arrival.
The Filipinos were serving aboard the Liberia-flagged M/V Antonia S when the vessel was struck by a missile on Aug. 19 while berthed at Chornomorsk, the DMW said. The department did not identify who was responsible for the attack.
Local authorities evacuated the crew members to a designated shelter inside the port, where they remained while arrangements were made for temporary accommodation and their eventual repatriation.
According to the DMW, the ship’s Filipino captain said a foreign security officer aboard the vessel warned the crew of the incoming attack, giving them time to take precautions before it struck.
The returning seafarers received financial assistance through the DMW’s AKSYON Fund. Their licensed manning agency will also arrange medical and psychological assessments of their physical and psychosocial needs following the incident.
Their repatriation comes amid continuing attacks on commercial vessels in the northern Black Sea. The DMW said on Aug. 14 that its temporary ban on deploying Filipino seafarers to the area would remain in place because of the security risks.
Philippine rules allow Filipino seafarers to refuse to enter designated warlike or high-risk areas without discrimination or prejudice to their present or future employment. Licensed manning agencies and their accredited principals or employers must ensure the immediate and safe repatriation of those who exercise that right.
Augusto B. San Diego III, the DMW assistant secretary responsible for sea-based overseas Filipino worker concerns, reminded the returnees to understand their rights and seek help from the authorities when necessary.
Speaking in Filipino, San Diego also called for an end to the war and violence that continue to endanger Filipino seafarers working in conflict-affected waters, according to GMA News.
