The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is taking legal action against a manning agency responsible for abandoning four overseas Filipino worker (OFW) seafarers. Secretary Hans Cacdac confirmed the case, emphasizing the vulnerability of seafarers in the fishing industry. The four seafarers were rescued in San Diego, California, after being unpaid and left by their employer in November. Cacdac stated that the DMW is committed to holding the manning agency accountable for violating the rights and welfare of seafarers.
Despite fewer cases involving Filipino fishers compared to land-based workers, they remain a significant concern due to unscrupulous fishing operators, according to the DMW secretary. To enhance protections for OFW fishers, the DMW plans to implement stricter regulatory standards this year in alignment with the Philippines’ ratification of the International Labor Organization’s Convention Against Violence and Harassment at Work. Specific improvements under these standards have yet to be detailed.
In other developments, the Philippine government has cleared its three shelters in Beirut, Lebanon, following the return of 131 OFWs last week. Cacdac disclosed that the 52 and 79 workers who arrived in two separate groups were among the occupants of these government-operated shelters. The total number of Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon since the conflict began in October 2023 now stands at 1,569. Despite having zero occupants in the shelters currently, the DMW remains prepared to assist OFWs in need.
More Stories
Families of kidnapped Seafarers Call for Urgent Assistance
Philippines Coast Guard Rescues Six After Tugboat Capsizes in Bulker Collision
Revised OCIMF Guidelines for Safe Single Point Mooring Operations Released