THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) admitted on Friday, March 22, 2024, that it cannot prevent vessels carrying Filipino seafarers from plying through routes that are deemed as "war-like" zones.
In an online media briefing, DMW Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said it is not within their capacity to prohibit ships from passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea despite the recent string of hostilities in the area.
"The decision for a ship to ply any sea route is the judgment of the shipowner," said Cacdac.
"More often than not, that is part of the whole network and global system of global commerce. So we don't have a hold on that aspect," he added.
The DMW official assured, though, that they have power over the treatment of Filipino seafarers on board the vessels.
This, he said, include ensuring the rights of the seafarers to refuse to sail in that area, or be entitled to additional benefits in case they agree to join the voyage.
"What we do have a hold is the plight and the safety of our seafarers aboard those ships," he said.
"When principals and manning agencies recruit seafarers, they process their seafarers with the DMW. And in so doing, there are obligations," added Cacdac.
Earlier, the DMW said it is now requiring licensed manning agencies to report all cases of ships carrying Filipino seafarers that are shall ply in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
It said it will also establish a system that will ensure "real-time" monitoring of the seafarers, who will opt to exercise their right to refuse to sail in the said areas.
The department also reminded principals of the additional benefits Filipino seafarers shall be entitled to in case they push through with the voyage to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The DMW issued the reminder amid the string of incidents involving Filipino seafarers in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)