DMW: 2 more Filipinos from Houthi-attacked ship to arrive in PH on Thursday

The two Filipino seafarers who were injured in a missile attack by rebel group Houthi will arrive home in the Philippines on Thursday, March 14, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Wednesday. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the two Filipino crew will be repatriated via air ambulance. 

“Whole-of-government team as directed by the President will once again be ready to receive and provide full assistance and support,” Cacdac said.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Tuesday that the two suffered “grave” injuries due to the attack. One of them had severe facial burns, and the other one had to have his leg amputated. 

Eleven other Filipino crew members of the MV True Confidence already arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon from Djibouti. 

De Vega said they were already provided the first tranche of financial assistance worth US $1,000.

The seafarers are also set to receive medical and physical check-ups from the Department of Health (DOH), as well as financial support worth P50,000 each from the DMW, comprehensive reintegration support, livelihood aid worth P20,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and scholarship and training vouchers from TESDA.

The missile attack, which the Houthis claimed responsibility for, killed three seafarers onboard the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence while traversing the Gulf of Aden on March 6. 

Among those who died were two Filipino seafarers.

As of Tuesday, de Vega said that their bodies were still not being retrieved from the burning ship. —Giselle Ombay/ VAL, GMA Integrated News