Kin of Filipino seafarers to receive psychosocial services–DMW

Eleven of the 13 Filipino crewmen who survived Houthi rebels’ missile attack on their ship returned to the Philippines on Tuesday. Photo by Zeus Legaspi/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Aside from financial aid, the families of Filipino crewmen from the ill-fated MV True Confidence will also receive psychosocial services, said an official from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday.

The ill-fated MV True Confidence was attacked by a missile from the Houthi Rebel Group on March 6, which injured three Filipino crewmen and killed two others.

READ: DMW: 10 Filipino crewmen in Yemen missile attack safe, 3 wounded

“We are taking care of them all. Psychosocial services are the number one here, they are going through something — what they are going through is difficult because their loved ones were killed and hurt and that is what we prioritize,” said DMW Usec. Bernard Olalia at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

According to Olalia, the family of the deceased seafarers, as well as the other surviving crewmen, will also be given financial assistance, benefits and entitlements.

READ: Two remaining Filipino crewmen of MV True Confidence now back in PH

“Ayaw po natin na gagastos sila dahil alam natin na maraming gagastusin dito po sa nangyari sa kanila,”

(We do not want them to spend because we know that what happened costs a lot of money.)

Asked when the bodies of the two Filipino seafarers could be retrieved, Olalia said that the MV True Confidence had already been retrieved from the Gulf of Aden and towed to a safe location for salvaging.