President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to carefully support families of 20 Filipino mariners affected by the Red Sea attacks.

“We are handholding the families as directed by the President,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac told reporters in a press conference in Quezon City on Saturday.

Three Filipino seafarers were on board container ship MSC Aries when it was seized by Iranian authorities in the Red Sea. On the other hand, the vessel Galaxy Leader had 17 Filipino seamen when attacked by the Houthi rebels also in the Red Sea.

Cacdac said the Filipino seafarers remain safe and sound, adding the DMW has been constantly meeting with families of the sailors.

He said the three Filipino crew of MSC Aries are expected to be home anytime soon while the 17 Filipinos in Galaxy Leader remain in stable condition. They are constantly communicating with their loved ones in the Philippines, he added.

Cacdac lauded the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for its unwavering support to ensure the safety of the Filipino seafarers and its closed coordination with Iranian authorities along with the local manning agency as far as the three Filipino seafarers of MSC Aries are concerned.

In another development, Cacdac said the DMW is continuously implementing the PhP2.8 billion action fund intended for around 88,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who sought help from the government’s Assistance to National Program since August 2022, 2023. |PND