12 Filipino seafarers safe after Gulf of Aden attack - DMW

All the 12 Filipino crew members aboard the Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht are safe following the attack in the Gulf of Aden, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Wednesday. 

“Of the 12 Filipino crew members, two remain under medical care—one with minor injuries and another with serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac in a statement. 

“Ten crew members, including those with minor injuries, are out of danger and expected to return home soon.”

The DMW added the Filipino seafarers as well as the other crew members of Russian, Ukrainian, and Sri Lankan citizenships have been moved to a secure location. But the Filipino crew will be transferred again for their flight back to the Philippines on weekend. 

Further, the department said that the families of the seafarers are receiving “close support.” 

“A whole-of-government response, as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., will welcome the crew upon arrival. Support services will include accommodation from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), financial aid and psychosocial counseling from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and medical check-ups from the Department of Health (DOH),” the DMW said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News