8 Pinoy crew members of MV Eternity C arrived home — Palace
This development was announced by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro at Thursday's press briefing.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), they arrived via flight SV870 at NAIA Terminal 1 in Pasay City. They were welcomed by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and other government executives.
The seafarers were among the crew members of the MV Eternity C, which was attacked twice by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea last July 7 and 8.
The Eternity C had 22 crew members on board, comprised of one Russian and 21 Filipino crew members. Reuters earlier reported that three guards were also on the vessel.
Last Saturday, the DMW said it was verifying reports that three Filipino crew members were killed during the attack.
Search and rescue operations were conducted for the remaining 13 Filipino seafarers. The Department of Foreign Affairs had said two Filipino seafarers aboard the MV Eternity C were "most likely" killed.
The DMW has suspended the license of the principal and manning agency of the 21 Filipino seafarers aboard the ill-fated ship.
Meanwhile, the eight returning Filipino crew members were provided with immediate assistance and support from the coordinated efforts of the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) - Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Team and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The crew members also received financial assistance through the DMW's AKSYON Fund, OWWA's Emergency Repatriation Fund, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); medical care from the Department of Health (DOH); assistance from the New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC) under the Department of Transportation (DOTR); and comprehensive reintegration support from the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other members of the National Reintegration Network for their smooth transition as well as for their productive and sustainable reintegration back with their families. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
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