DMW reiterates Black Sea 'high-risk advisory' after 2 Pinoy seafarer deaths

Following the deaths of two Filipino seafarers, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said on Tuesday that it will reiterate its "high-risk advisory" for the Black Sea amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We have issued that advisory, as I said, about a year ago already, so we will issue a reiteration advisory sa mga (to) manning agency,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Tuesday on Unang Balita.

Cacdac said the department continues to consider the Black Sea, particularly its northern section, to be dangerous for seafaring.

“Yes, dahil sa recent developments, lalo na ‘yung Northern Black Sea side dahil malaki naman yung Black Sea, ‘no. ‘Yung northern Black Sea kasi nandoon ‘yung mga pwesto ng Southern Ukraine… Doon nagmula kasi ‘yung mga barko at doon nangyari ‘yung mga atake,” Cacdac said.

(Yes, because of recent developments, especially on the northern Black Sea side, because the Black Sea is quite large. It's the northern Black Sea because that's where parts of southern Ukraine are located... that's where the ships came from and where the attacks happened.)

The DMW reported that the first Filipino seafarer was killed on July 6, while the second was killed on Sunday, July 19, during drone attacks in the Black Sea in southern Ukraine.

Twelve seafarers were injured in the incident, four of whom have already been repatriated while the remaining eight are undergoing medical recovery.

Cacdac said the government is already in touch with the victims’ families, manning agencies, and ship owners.

He said the liability of the victims’ manning agencies and ship owners will be determined after the department’s investigation.

“Right now we’re investigating the matter kasi titignan muna natin kung nag-comply sa mga regulasyon natin, which mainly would include reportorial requirement,” Cacdac said.

(Right now we’re investigating the matter because we will first see if they complied with our regulations, which mainly include the reportorial requirement.)

“Kung naiulat nila sa atin at nabalita ang impormasyon na merong mga seafarers na dadalhin don sa Northern Black Sea, these are the things that we will look at and [we will] have a finding whether or no may liability ‘yung manning agency saka yung ship owner,” he added.

(If they reported to us and provided the information that there were seafarers being brought to the Northern Black Sea, these are the things that we will look at and we will make a finding on whether or not there is liability on the part of the manning agency and the ship owner.)

The DMW, meanwhile, reminded manning agencies to respect their seafarers’ right to refuse sailing. —Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo/ VAL, GMA News