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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Third Filipino seafarer dies in Black Sea attacks as DMW halts deployment to danger zone

Third Filipino seafarer dies in Black Sea attacks as DMW halts deployment to danger zone

Published Aug 1, 2026 04:12 pm

At A Glance

  • A third Filipino seafarer has died in attacks on commercial ships in the northern Black Sea, while one remains missing, DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. The attacks have affected 236 Filipino crew members aboard 17 ships.
  • The government has repatriated 89 seafarers, including nine of the 15 injured, while efforts continue to bring home the remaining injured crew and the remains of the three fatalities.
  • The DMW has directed manning agencies to stop sending Filipino seafarers to the northern Black Sea and ordered shipowners to move 180 Filipinos aboard 12 unaffected ships in the area to safer ports due to the ongoing armed conflict.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac (Photo: DMW)
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac (Photo: DMW)
The death toll among Filipino seafarers caught in attacks on commercial ships in the northern Black Sea has risen to three as the government stepped up repatriation efforts and barred deployment to the conflict zone, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said on Saturday, Aug. 1.
Cacdac said the latest fatality was among Filipino crew members aboard ships that came under attack while docked at Ukrainian ports.
“Last week, we reported two deceased. Today, I am reporting that there is one additional fatality. We now have three Filipinos who died in the northern Black Sea attacks on ships docked in Ukrainian ports. We also have one missing,” he said during the Saturday News Forum.
The attacks stemmed from the escalating hostilities in the region as Cacdac said Ukraine attacked Russia in the Sea of Azov, prompting Russian strikes on Ukraine, including ports where commercial vessels with Filipino crew members were docked.
The DMW said 17 ships carrying Filipino seafarers have been attacked over the past three weeks.
A total of 236 Filipino seafarers were on board the affected vessels. Of the number, 217 escaped unharmed while 15 were injured.
Cacdac said 89 seafarers have already been repatriated, including nine of the 15 injured crew members.
“Six injured seafarers remain overseas. The others have already been taken off the ships and are now in different locations in Ukraine, Romania, Greece, and Turkey,” he said.
Tragic homecoming
The DMW chief said the government is now arranging the return of the remains of the three deceased seafarers.
“We are working with the shipowners, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the manning agencies to ensure their immediate repatriation,” Cacdac said.
He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the DMW to extend full assistance to the victims' families.
“Following the President's instructions, I personally visited the families of the three deceased, including the family of the missing seafarer. I conveyed the President's sympathies and his directive to provide full support and assistance,” Cacdac said.
He also announced that he and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Administrator Patricia Yvonne "PY" Caunan will leave for Romania on Monday to meet Filipino seafarers brought there after the attacks.
“One of the human remains is in Romania. We will visit the morgue where the remains are being kept,” he said.
The trip will be coordinated with the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest headed by Ambassador Noel Servigon.
Dangerous times
Amid the continuing violence, the DMW has directed licensed manning agencies and shipowners to stop sending Filipino seafarers to the northern Black Sea.
Cacdac said the DMW also ordered the immediate repatriation of Filipino crew members from attacked vessels and instructed shipowners to move 180 other Filipino seafarers aboard 12 ships that have not been attacked to safer ports.
“We have directed all manning agencies not to allow ships carrying Filipino seafarers to proceed to the northern Black Sea because we received security assessments from the DFA and the Department of National Defense,” he said.
"They have established that there is a full-scale international armed conflict in the area. The level of danger is very high. That is why there should be no Filipino seafarers there for now,” he added.

Related Tags

DMW Hans Leo Cacdac northern Black Sea Ukraine Russia seafarer
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