Philippines bans deployment of seafarers to Black Sea after deadly strikes

The Philippine government has ordered a temporary deployment ban to the Black Sea following the deaths of two Filipino seafarers from Russian drone strikes this month.

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the ban as attacks against commercial shipping in the area escalate.

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A Filipino sailor was killed aboard MV Venturo on July 6, and another perished last Sunday aboard MV Arosa, the official reported. Another Filipino mariner, MV Star Venture’s chief engineer, remains missing.

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“President Marcos has ordered the repatriation of all 151 Filipino sailors in the area as well as the temporary ban of new deployments in the northern part of the Black Sea,” he said.

Cacdac said 15 other Filipinos were injured by the attacks on 12 ships docked, anchored, or have shortly departed Ukrainian ports. None of those injured were seriously hurt, he added.

Supporting families

Cacdac said the remains of the two fatalities will be brought home to the Philippines next week. He added he has visited their families to hand over cash assistance and benefits.

“The situation in the Black Sea is getting worse and we are closely monitoring the situation,” the official told reporters.

The DMW and The International Bargaining Forum (IBF) earlier designated the northern Black Sea region and all Ukrainian ports as a Warlike Operations Area (WOA), advising all mariners “to avoid or divert voyages away from the area whenever possible.”

Cacdac said the Philippine government has ordered all its labour attaches in the area to provide assistance to Filipino seafarers who wish to be repatriated.

The official, however, admitted there will be no cash or employment assistance for uninjured mariners when they arrive back in the Philippines.

“For able-bodied seafarers, we hope for their reemployment once they get home,” he said.