File photo / ABC
MANILA, Philippines — Five of the 27 Filipino crew of MV Transworld Navigator, which was attacked by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, arrived in the country on Sunday afternoon, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
“This is the first batch of the 27 Filipino seafarers who were onboard the vessel that was attacked by the Houthi rebels last weekend as they passed through the Gulf of Aden,” the DMW said.
The agency also said the five seafarers received financial and other assistance from the national government.
DMW chief Hans Leo Cacdac, Assistant Secretary for Sea-based OFW Concerns Jerome Pampolina, and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Deputy Administrator Honey Quin̈o welcomed the seafarers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
READ: 1 minor injury among 27 Filipino crew onboard MV Transworld Navigator
According to reports, one of the 27 Filipino crew sustained a minor injury due to shattered glass in the vessel.
“Other than that, we know of no other injuries to any of the 27 others,” Cacdac said in a press briefing.
Before the incident, the Philippine government had barred Filipino seafarers from boarding vessels passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Cacdac said the DMW required manning agencies to submit an “affirmation letter” or written guarantee that cruise vessels with Filipino crew members would not traverse the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden which were designated as “war-like zones.”
It also required manning agencies to submit their vessels’ detailed itineraries during the processing of crew employment contracts or before deployment.