The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has assured the safety and continued employment of 412 Filipino seafarers deployed in offshore operations in the Persian Gulf, following Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac's visit to Saudi Arabia from April 20 to 23.
In an online press briefing Thursday, Cacdac said he met with officials of Zamil Offshore, a major offshore support services provider in the region, which currently employs 412 Filipino seafarers deployed on vessels operating within the Persian Gulf.
“It was a very fruitful meeting as well, and we were positively assured by Zamil Offshore representatives of the safety of our 412 seafarers in these support ships, and number two, that they have food and water and adequate supplies, and other basic needs. So, they're being taken care of,” he said.
He also said the Filipino seafarers remain actively employed, with their contracts continuing to be implemented, including the regular remittance of 80 percent of earnings to their families in the Philippines.
Cacdac also noted that strong onboard internet connectivity allows these seafarers to maintain regular communication with their families back in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, he said Zamil Offshore officials expressed appreciation for Filipino seafarers, citing their “knowledge, competence, and seamanship,” and indicated interest in hiring more Filipinos in the future.
During the briefing, Cacdac emphasized that the Filipino crew assigned to the company’s vessels is not transiting high-risk routes, as their operations are confined within the Gulf.
“The 412 seafarers on those ships will continue to work within the Persian Gulf. They will not exit the Persian Gulf out of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Monitoring of Seafarers Across the Gulf
Cacdac said his Saudi Arabia visit is part of the intensified government monitoring of Filipino seafarers in the Middle East amid ongoing regional tensions.
He reported that 1,161 Filipino seafarers have so far exited the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz between April 2 and April 18, many of them aboard cruise ships already operating in the area.
“Since day one, monitored na natin sila (they are being monitored). We've been meeting with the manning agencies. We've been requiring them to, not just meeting them but requiring them to file the necessary reports,” Cacdac said.
He said the remaining vessels with Filipino crews are either anchored or docked in areas considered safe, with adequate supplies of food, water, and basic necessities.
He said the DMW continues to coordinate with shipowners and manning agencies, requiring regular reports and using marine traffic systems to track vessel movements and locations in real time.
“And of course, we've been monitoring them, the current situation and location of the ships through marine traffic. Kaya alam natin kung nasaan yung mga barko at alam natin yung mga nag-exit kaya nasa talaan natin yung 1,161 na nakapag-exit na ng Strait of Hormuz (So we know where the ships are and we know who has exited, which is why we have the 1,161 who have already exited Strait of Hormuz on our list),” he said.
“The count we had was around 4,600, so 1,161 have exited. Subject to further validation of the figures, safe to say that the 4,600 have been reduced,” he added.
