15 of 21 Filipino seafarers stranded in India back in PH – DFA

Fifteen out of the 21 Filipino seafarers that were stranded in India are now back in the country, the Department of Foreign Affair (DFA) said.

READ: 21 Filipino seamen stranded in India set to return home

The seamen have been stranded at the Kakinada Port for more than three months after their Greek employers abandoned them.

The DFA , in a statement issued Sunday, said that the 15 Filipino seafarers returned to the country last Saturday.

Ambassador to India Ma. Teresita Daza said that the remaining six crew members of the MV Evangelia M “will also be repatriated as soon as their exit clearances are issued,” the DFA noted.

Daza said that the Embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Chennai “worked closely with Indian port authorities and the Admiral Shipping Agency, the local agent in India, for the resolution of the case,” the DFA added.

Meanwhile, the DFA said it coordinated with Evic Human Resource Management Inc., a local employment agency, to guarantee that the Filipino seamen will receive their remaining salaries and be provided with legal assistance. /je