MANILA — Rising violence in key global sea lanes continues to threaten the lives of Filipino maritime workers, with eight crew members killed and two remaining missing following a series of missile and drone strikes in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Northern Black Sea.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac raised the warning during a media interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Maritime Convention (Philmarcon 2026) at The Manila Hotel, detailing the severe toll on seafarers in active conflict zones while outlining state measures to enforce route restrictions, execute emergency repatriations, and penalize noncompliant shipowners.
Casualty records confirmed by the DMW indicate five fatalities and one missing seafarer in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside three fatalities and one missing in the Northern Black Sea.
Cacdac noted that while some strikes result in direct hits and others are near-misses, the psychological and physical threat to crew members remains equally severe.
“Every attack counts and has an impact on our seafarers, regardless of whether it is smaller scale or larger scale,” Cacdac said, adding that the DMW coordinates psychosocial interventions with the Department of Health for returning crew and personally visits the families of deceased and injured workers.
Fewer than 3,000 Filipino seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz area after approximately 2,000 exited, while roughly 490 were affected in the Northern Black Sea.
According to the agency, about 70 percent of affected crew members across these conflict zones have been successfully repatriated, with daily and weekly arrivals ongoing.
To safeguard crew members, the DMW guarantees the legal right to refuse deployment into designated high-risk zones without fear of employer retaliation or future blacklisting.
“In the last three years, around 1,500 Filipino seafarers have exercised their right to refuse sailing,” Cacdac said, noting that approximately 500 seafarers invoked the policy this year alone. “Some of them, in fact, Filipino captains have stood firm for the protection of their seafarers.”
Under DMW regulations, workers exercising the right to refuse deployment receive full pre-repatriation assistance, two months’ compensation, and mandatory protection against workforce discrimination.
Addressing regulatory compliance, Cacdac clarified that agency advisories directing manning agencies and shipowners to avoid high-risk passages are strictly legally binding. The DMW is currently investigating instances where vessels carrying Filipino crew entered prohibited zones, including the Northern Black Sea, despite active restrictions.
“It’s regulatory,” Cacdac emphasized, noting that past violations have resulted in the suspension of noncompliant manning agencies and shipowners, with further sanctions expected upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations.
On the issue of vessel abandonment, Cacdac noted that Filipino crew members are involved less frequently than other nationalities due to close monitoring by labor attachés, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) representatives, and port welfare officers, alongside financial security mechanisms under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
