MANILA (August 5) — They left the Philippines to work at sea. They came home injured after their ship was caught in a war zone.
Two Filipino seafarers wounded in a drone attack on a commercial tanker in the Black Sea arrived home Monday, Aug. 3, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to expose Filipino workers aboard vessels in the region to deadly risks.
The two were crew members of the MV Gas Lisbon, a Liberia-flagged tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that was attacked and caught fire near Romania’s coastline on July 20.
Both suffered burn injuries.
Three days later, on July 23, another Filipino crew member died from injuries sustained in the incident.
The returning seafarers were met at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which provided airport assistance and financial support.
Their licensed manning agency also arranged temporary accommodation, medical assessment and other assistance as they prepared to reunite with their families.
But their ordeal is part of a much bigger problem.
Hundreds of Filipino seafarers are now caught in the risks created by the war.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac earlier reported that 236 Filipino seafarers aboard 17 commercial vessels had been affected by attacks near Ukrainian ports.
Three were killed, 15 injured and one remains missing. Another 217 have been accounted for and are safe.
So far, 89 Filipino seafarers, including nine injured workers, have been repatriated to the Philippines.
The figures underscore the danger faced by Filipino seafarers whose workplaces have increasingly become vulnerable to missile and drone attacks, even when their vessels are engaged in civilian commercial activity.
For families waiting at home, the issue is more than a foreign conflict playing out on distant waters. It is about whether a breadwinner who leaves the country for work will return safely.
Cacdac said the government is continuing efforts to repatriate affected Filipino seafarers and monitor the situation.
For the two workers who finally made it home, the next challenge is recovery.
And for the families still waiting for loved ones at sea, the war is far from a distant headline.
