By Marita Moaje
MANILA – The Philippine government has successfully repatriated nine Filipino seafarers stranded for months aboard the oil tanker MV Rival at Ras Isa Port in Yemen, amid escalating conflict.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said the seafarers arrived safely at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City on Tuesday evening.
“Their safe repatriation was made possible through close coordination with the Migrant Workers Offices, Philippine embassies in Oman and Riyadh, and the licensed recruitment agency overseeing their deployment,” the DMW said.
DMW Assistant Secretary Levinson Alcantara and Director Augusto B. San Diego III led the team that welcomed the returnees, together with personnel from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
It said that the Filipino seafarers had been stranded at Ras Isa Port in Yemen amid the ongoing bombardment in the said country.
The seafarers were immediately provided with financial aid through the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and OWWA.
“Additionally, they will undergo medical check-ups and psychosocial counseling to safeguard their health and well-being,” the DMW said.
It noted that the seafarers are being accommodated at a hotel along with their families while waiting for the results of their medical examination. (PNA)
