Filipino crew in Singapore Strait collision expected to be sent home—Cacdac

MANILA — The 21 Filipino seafarers aboard a bulk carrier involved in a collision in the Singapore Strait are expected to be sent home after disembarkation, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said Thursday.

Cacdac said repatriation is standard procedure following a stressful maritime incident, allowing the crew members to reunite with their families and undergo medical examinations, briefings and psychological debriefing.

“Everybody home muna to be with their families and get the necessary medical protocols and debriefings,” Cacdac said in a phone interview while en route to Lithuania.

The Filipino crew members of the Panama-flagged First Margaux remained aboard the vessel and were unharmed, based on the latest information received by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The ship collided with the China-registered fishing vessel Lu Qing Yuan Yu 108 in the Singapore Strait on September 17.

The Chinese fishing vessel took on water but remained afloat and stable. Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said no injuries were reported among the crew members of either vessel.

Cacdac said the First Margaux appeared to have been less affected by the collision, possibly because it was significantly larger than the fishing vessel.

The DMW is coordinating with the ship’s licensed manning agency, Singaporean authorities, and the Philippine Embassy in Singapore while the incident is being investigated.

Cacdac said the Filipino crew members would undergo the required medical protocols upon disembarkation. Their manning agency and shipowner are expected to shoulder the cost of their repatriation and other necessary assistance.

Cacdac said the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) were also ready to provide repatriation, medical and financial assistance in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive.

Meanwhile, Cacdac said the government continued to monitor Filipino seafarers affected by attacks in the northern Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.

He reiterated the government’s warning to shipowners against deploying Filipino seafarers aboard vessels that would sail to ports in southern Ukraine and other areas in the northern Black Sea classified as high-risk or warlike zones.

Cacdac said slightly fewer than 500 Filipino seafarers had been aboard vessels attacked in the affected areas. Nearly 70 percent had already been repatriated, while about 30 percent were still awaiting repatriation, he said.

Three Filipino seafarers have died and one remains missing following incidents in the northern Black Sea.

In the Strait of Hormuz, four Filipino seafarers were killed and one remains missing, according to Cacdac

He said the Philippine government was coordinating with Omani authorities on search operations in the Strait of Hormuz.

For incidents in and around Ukraine, the government is coordinating with authorities in Ukraine, Romania, Türkiye and Moldova. Cacdac said Filipino seafarers rescued after attacks could be brought to Romania or Türkiye. They could also travel overland from a Ukrainian port to Chișinău, Moldova, before being flown home.

The DMW is likewise assisting the families of the fatalities and missing seafarers, following the President’s directive to support them through the difficult period.

Cacdac is currently bound for Lithuania to sign a bilateral labor agreement that had been under negotiation for two years.

He said President Marcos had authorized him to sign the agreement, which was negotiated in coordination with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw, which has jurisdiction over Lithuania.

Cacdac said Filipino workers were in demand in Lithuania, particularly in the manufacturing and hospitality industries.

However, some Filipinos reach Lithuania through third-country recruitment arrangements and are not properly documented with the Philippine government. Cacdac said coordination with Lithuanian authorities was important to ensure that Filipino workers there were properly documented.

Cacdac also clarified that Filipinos currently employed in Hungary continued to work there despite uncertainty over the country’s labor policies.

The DMW has been coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Embassy in Budapest and the Philippine labor attaché while awaiting further announcements from the Hungarian government.