36 Pinoy seafarers safe as 2 more ships exit Strait of Hormuz - DMW

Two ships with 36 Filipino seafarers onboard are now safe after their vessels safely exited the Strait of Hormuz, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Tuesday.

In a social media post, the DMW said the two vessels got stuck in the Persian Gulf amid the conflict in the Middle East.

The Filipino seafarers were onboard vessels under the Russian and Liberian flags, respectfully.

This brought the number of Filipino seafarers out of the Strait of Hormuz to around 1,000, the DMW said.

“The DMW continues to closely monitor vessel movements in the region and maintain coordination with manning agencies and shipowners to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino seafarers,” it said.

The agency added that it also “keeps communication lines open with the affected seafarers and their families.”

In March, the United Nations’ (UN) International Maritime Organization (IMO) logged around 20,000 seafarers and 15,000 cruise ship passengers stuck in the Gulf due to the Middle East war.

In March, the DMW declared the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz as a “warlike operations area,” adding that Filipino seafarers may refuse to sail in high-risk war zones amid the conflict.

On April 13, the US announced it would impose a blockade on Iran-related shipping and has turned back 37 vessels since then. This came after its discussions with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the hostilities. — JMA, GMA News