ILOILO City – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) vowed to hold accountable the vessel owner and the manning agency of the six rescued Filipino seafarers who were stranded for two months off the Loboc port here.
The manning agency, Erica Crew Manning Services Inc., is already under suspension and could face license revocation.
In an online media briefing, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan said the six Filipino and seven Indian crew were stranded aboard their vessel bulk carrier MV Herman Star in the Iloilo Strait, without power, proper food, clean water or pay.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said the agency would pursue administrative sanctions.
“We will hold the vessel owner and the manning agency accountable for the hardship these seafarers endured,” he said.
DMW undersecretary Bernard Olalia said violations include failure to ensure the ship’s seaworthiness, delayed payment of wages and possible contract substitution.
Aside from the delayed salary, Olalia said they are looking at contract substitution.
“So there was an original contract which was submitted to the DMW, approved by the DMW, which is supposed to be honored by the principal and employer. Kaya lang, may (But there was) substitution of contract. Recruitment violation due to substitution of contract. That’s one,” he said.
Olalia added that the manning agency’s failure to monitor its deployed seafarers was another violation, aside from the delay in the payment of wages.
“So ‘yung tatlong ‘yun, napakabigat na ‘yun, at isa doon, hahantong sa cancellation po ng lisensya ng manning agency (So those three, they’re very serious and one of them will lead to the cancellation of the manning agency’s license),” he added.
The crew of MV Herman Star finally disembarked June 30 and received government financial assistance.
The ship arrived from Vietnam carrying bags of rice in August 2024 but remained docked after being found unseaworthy and lacking a valid trading certificate during an inspection by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)/Port State Control. It changed crew twice.
Caunan said the rescue team included the PCG, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Customs, and Iloilo Lone District’s Cong. Julienne Baronda.
“At sa efforts ng ating gobyerno (And through the efforts of the government), we were granted access and we were able to negotiate to have a settlement between the vessel’s owners and our fellow seafarers for their unpaid salaries,” she said.
She said each of the six rescued seafarers immediately received P100,000 financial aid through the DMW’s Aksyon Fund and OWWA’s Emergency Repatriation Fund as part of the government’s expanded support for distressed overseas workers and seafarers as directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Meanwhile, the Philippine government also extended assistance to the Indian nationals by providing them with food.
They will also be assisted in seeking immigration clearance so they can disembark soon.
“This is proof that our commitment to protect Filipino workers goes beyond borders and we will not hesitate to go after those who neglect or exploit them,” Cacdac said. (Philippine News Agency)/PN
