THE 11 Filipino seafarers who were in a ship hit by a missile launched by Houthi rebels off the Red Sea are traveling back to the Philippines, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Monday, March 11, 2024.
In a statement, the DMW said 10 of the crew members were unharmed while one of them sustained minor injuries during the emergency evacuation of the ship. They are set to arrive in Manila on March 12.
They were crew members of True Confidence, a bulk carrier ship that was hit by a missile on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
The ship was on its way to Jeddah and Aqaba from China, carrying a cargo of steel products and trucks.
The agency said two more Filipino seafarers who were injured during the attack remain in a hospital in Djibouti City.
“Their condition is stable and being monitored by medical professionals. They will be repatriated to the Philippines as soon as they are medically certified as fit for travel,” DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said.
Meanwhile, Cacdac said the recovery operations are underway for the retrieval of the remains of three crew members, two of them Filipino, who died in the missile attack.
"We pray for the success of the salvaging operation so that the remains of our two fallen seafarers can be repatriated… As we continue to express our condolences and prayers to their families,” he added.
On Sunday, March 10, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended his deepest sympathies to the families of the fatalities.
He assured them that all efforts are exerted to bring their remains home.
“I joined the nation in offering our deepest sympathies to the families of the two Filipino seafarers who perished in the Houthi attack on True Confidence. The government is in constant contact with their families, and we will spare no effort in bringing their remains home,” Marcos said in a statement.
The chief executive also instructed the DMW, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and Department of Health (DOH) to provide the necessary assistance to the affected seafarers and to their families.
Marcos joined with global calls “for the end to this conflict and for full respect for the principle of freedom of navigation” as he emphasized that the Philippine government is firmly committed to the safety and welfare of the Filipino seafarers and overseas Filipino workers in the affected region. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
