15 foreign-flagged ships carrying 260 Filipino seafarers pass Hormuz

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Saturday reported that at least 15 foreign-flagged ships with up to 260 Filipino crew members on board exited the Strait of Hormuz hours after Iran temporarily reopened the critical waterway. 

According to a report by JP Soriano on Super Radyo dzBB, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed that as of posting time, several of these ships were already traveling off the coast of Africa while others were already in Southeast Asia.

Over 4,000 Filipino seafarers aboard some 500 foreign-flagged vessels are still at the strait as of posting time, the report said. 

It was unclear if others have also been able to depart the area, but the DMW expressed hope that tensions would continue to ease and that sea vessels can freely transit the strait.

The development comes exactly seven weeks since fighting erupted between US-Israeli forces and Iran on February 28. As part of its retaliation, Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, the maritime transit route of about 20% of the world's oil supply, as hundreds of cargo ships remained there. The United States later implemented its own blockade at the strait amid attempts to reach a peace deal with Tehran.

On Friday, Iran temporarily reopened the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, but Tehran warned that it could close the waterway again if the US Navy blockade of Iranian ports continued.

Missile attack survivors

As this developed, at least 10 Filipino seafarers onboard an oil tanker struck by an Iranian missile attack on April 1 in the Strait of Hormuz are back in the Philippines.

Soriano's report said the vessel did not exit through the Strait of Hormuz, but found another way to escape. 

In a social media report posted by GMA News on Facebook, Soriano quoted Cacdac as saying that the crew members were already safe and receiving assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

Their vessel, the oil tanker MT Aqua 1, was struck by an Iranian cruise missile in the Persian Gulf near Qatar. 

The remaining Filipino crew members were likewise reported as safe and are expected to return to the Philippines.

Earlier this week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Philippine-flagged vessels were assured of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. — VDV, GMA News