The 14 Filipino crew members of the Somalian-flagged cargo vessel M/V Afadja have all returned home, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Monday.
On Sunday night, nine of the remaining crew members touched down at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3. The first five crew members returned home last June 22.
The crew members were welcomed by their families, representatives of the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) medical team, and officials of their licensed manning agency.
The seafarers received airport assistance, financial aid, temporary hotel accommodation, and transportation support from the DMW and OWWA and were also referred to a Department of Health-accredited hospital for psychosocial counseling.
“The successful repatriation was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Ankara and the Migrant Workers Office in Lebanon, which also provided airfare and emergency financial assistance to the crew. The seafarers had been found living aboard the vessel without electricity, potable water or adequate food after the ship was declared unfit to sail due to engine failure and the shipowner failed to fulfill its obligations,” the DMW said in a statement.
