Arya News - The crew was aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier M/V Antonia S when the vessel was hit by a missile on Aug. 19, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
MANILA – Twenty-two Filipino seafarers arrived in Manila on Aug. 30 after being repatriated from Ukraine following a missile attack on their vessel while it was docked at Chornomorsk Port in the Black Sea region.
The crew was aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier M/V Antonia S when the vessel was hit by a missile on Aug. 19, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The agency said local authorities evacuated the crew to a designated shelter within Chornomorsk Port after the attack. They stayed there while arrangements were made for temporary accommodation and their return to the Philippines.
The seafarers arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 aboard Turkish Airlines Flight TK084 and received medical assistance from the Manila International Airport Authority medical team. They were also given financial assistance through the DMW AKSYON Fund under the government’s UPLIFT initiative.
DMW Officer-in-Charge Assistant Secretary for Sea-Based OFW Concerns Augusto B. San Diego III reminded the seafarers to exercise their rights, including refusing to sail when conditions pose a serious threat to their safety.
He also asked them to remember Filipino seafarers still working in areas affected by armed conflict.
“Include in your prayers our fellow Filipino seafarers who continue to sail in areas affected by war. Above all, let us pray that the war will end and that the violence that continues to put the lives of our seafarers at risk will stop,” San Diego said.
The ship’s Filipino captain also thanked a foreign security officer aboard the vessel whose warning of the incoming attack gave the crew time to move to the upper deck and take precautionary measures before the missile struck.
The returning seafarers will undergo medical and psychological assessments arranged by their licensed manning agency.
The DMW also reminded licensed manning agencies and their accredited principals to monitor the welfare of Filipino seafarers, observe safety precautions and follow protocols for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.