Marcos Orders Aid for Families of Seafarers Lost in Hormuz Incident

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ordered concerned government agencies to extend assistance to the families of two Filipino seafarers who died in a security incident in the Strait of Hormuz. Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said on Thursday that the two seafarers were from Cabuyao, Laguna and Daanbantayan, Cebu. “The President and the administration extend their condolences to the families of our two seafarers,” Ms. Castro said, adding that Mr. Marcos had directed agencies to provide the families with benefits, compensation, and insurance proceeds due them. “The government will not abandon the families left behind by our two countrymen,” she added. In separate statements, senators also asked the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to ensure the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) by enforcing the seafarers’ right to refuse sailing in high-risk areas. Senator Rafael T. Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Migrant Workers Committee, said his office is in continuous coordination with the DMW for the assistance and repatriation of the two seafarers. “The DMW must ensure that manning agencies and shipping companies respect and uphold seafarers’ right to refuse to sail to high-risk areas such as the Strait of Hormuz their ‘Right to Refuse Sailing’ without risking their entitlements and benefits,” he said. Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian likewise called for the prioritization of strict enforcement of safety protocols in high-risk countries and areas including the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing war in the region. “The DMW should ensure that the families of the victims, including those who survived the attack, immediately receive all the necessary assistance during this difficult time,” Mr. Gatchalian said. “The war in the Middle East is not yet over, so the government must ensure the safety of all OFWs in the region, including Filipino seafarers.”