Abandoned Pinoy sailors in India return home

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday said 15 of the 21 Filipino seafarers who were abandoned by their Greek employers and stranded in India since June have finally returned home.

They arrived in Manila on Saturday, the DFA said in a statement.

Ambassador to India Ma. Teresita Daza informed the DFA Home Office in Manila that the remaining six crew members of the MV Evangelia M will be repatriated as soon as their exit clearances are issued.

"The Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Chennai worked closely with Indian port authorities and the Admiral Shipping Agency, the local agent in India, for the resolution of the case," the DFA said.

The DFA also coordinated with local manning agency Evic Human Resource Management Inc. for the payment of their remaining salaries and the provision of legal assistance to the seafarers.

While in India, the seafarers stranded in Kakinada Port were provided with consular and cash assistance by the Philippine embassy and consulate.

The global shipping industry, which carries 80 percent of international trade, employs about 1.2 million seafarers and most of them come from the Philippines. —KG, GMA News