PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government had “tried to talk” to concerned countries entangled in the Middle East war to exercise caution amid the growing danger being faced by seafarers, including Filipinos, in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking during a Kapihan following his attendance at the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi, India, the president said Filipino maritime workers are “directly exposed to the war.” The Philippines is one of the largest suppliers of seafarers in the world, with approximately 504,000 Filipino seafarers deployed in 2024, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) said the Seafarer Workforce Report (SWR) 2026, jointly prepared by the Baltic and International Maritime Council and the International Chamber of Shipping, ranked the Philippines first among the world’s five largest seafarer-supplying countries.
Malacañang said the safety of seafarers was tackled at the Brics gathering, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressing the need to protect maritime navigation and seafarers amid the conflict and proposing a Brics emergency support network for maritime workers.
Marcos said that attacks against commercial vessels have placed Filipino crew members at serious risk because of their significant presence aboard international ships.
“If a tanker or a ship is attacked, it is likely that there are Filipinos on board,” the president pointed out. The president expressed his concern over the safety and welfare of Filipino seafarers following recent attacks on commercial vessels in conflict areas.
Two Filipinos were killed after the Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker MT Sidr was attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 31. Fourteen other Filipino crew members survived and returned to the Philippines on Sept. 8.
The president said the government would continue to provide assistance to affected seafarers and their families while engaging other countries to help protect Filipino maritime workers.
Marcos said the administration’s response extends beyond seafarers to overseas Filipino workers, transport workers and economically vulnerable sectors that could bear the brunt of the conflict.
“Everything that we can do to support our OFWs, our transport workers, those in the lower demographic of our society, all of that is what we are attending to,” he said.
The administration has maintained that protecting Filipinos and cushioning the domestic economy from the repercussions of the Middle East conflict remain priorities as hostilities continue to threaten shipping routes, energy supplies and international commerce. Data from shipping companies showed that Filipinos are the leading nationality among STCW-certified seafarers serving aboard the world merchant fleet, followed by Ukrainians, Indians, Romanians, and Poles. Filipinos also ranked first in both the officer and rating categories.
STCW stands for Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping. It is a global rule set by the International Maritime Organization to keep seafarers safe.
