More than 5,600 Filipino seafarers remain stranded aboard hundreds of commercial and cruise vessels in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman due to ongoing delays in maritime traffic caused by security threats related to escalating tensions between the United States, Israel, and Iran near the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said that the Filipinos are among an estimated 20,000 international seafarers affected by operational restrictions. The agency reported that they have already evacuated around 1,100 crew members from the Persian Gulf through coordinated operations with various commercial vessels and cruise ships.
The DMW continues to monitor ships with Filipino crew to ensure they have adequate food, drinking water, medicine, and other basic necessities. Licensed manning agencies have been instructed to regularly provide updates on the condition of the seafarers and ensure they have sufficient supplies while remaining at sea.
The government is also coordinating with foreign governments, shipowners, and other stakeholders to facilitate possible repatriation of Filipino crew members. However, some shipowners are reportedly hesitant to release their crew due to concerns about manning shortages while the vessels are in transit.
