THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported on Monday, July 13, 2026, that 11 Filipino crew members of M/V Hawk III, which was prevented from leaving Lebanese territorial waters since September 2025, continue to await their scheduled flight home.
In a statement, the DMW reported how the first nine Filipino seafarers have been successfully repatriated over the weekend.
"Nine Filipino seafarers, who were stuck in Lebanon after being affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, have returned safely to the Philippines," the DMW said.
"The 11 other seafarers are just waiting for their confirmed flights to be able to return home," it added.
The DMW said the repatriated seafarers shall be provided post-arrival assistance and other services that will help them in their recovery and reintegration.
To recall, Lebanese authorities prevented the M/V Hawk III from illegally leaving its waters after being found carrying fuel destined for Electricité du Liban (EDL) and allegedly imported from Russia.
MidEast repatriation
In a related development, the DMW is assuring overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East that the offer of repatriation remains available even as the hostilities between the United States (US) and Iran has resumed.
According to DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Bay, they continue to provide repatriation assistance to OFWs looking to return home from the crisis-torn region.
"We continue to closely monitor the situation and coordinate with Migrant Workers Offices across the Gulf Cooperation Council member states to respond to repatriation requests and other welfare concerns of OFWs," said Bay.
"We still have ongoing repatriation. But it's unlike the periods of April and May. The number is now declining. But we still continue with our repatriation efforts," she added.
As of July 2026, Bay said there are already 10,580 OFWs and their dependents, who have been safely repatriated from conflict-affected areas.
Over the weekend, the US and Iran exchanged multiple attacks across the Middle East anew. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
