Manila, Philippines – The Philippine government has denied the alleged ban on the deployment of Filipino seamen to war-hit regions, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
In a statement, Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said that the alleged ban on sending Filipino crew members to the region is not true, amid the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.
According to Castro, based on a message relayed by Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, the government and industry had a meeting to allow them to replace their crew members.
This follows reports that the Philippines is banning the sending of Filipino crew members to war-hit areas.
A source confirmed to EUROTV News, that there is ban on the deployment of Filipino seafarers in the war-hit regions particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf.
But the Migrant Workers Department has yet to release a statement regarding the deployment ban.
There about 6,000 Filipino Seafarers being monitored by the Philippine Government in the Strait of Hormuz.
There are 3,500 crew members remaining stranded in the Persian Gulf due to security issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
Last week, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said it was also working on a plan to evacuate ships struck in the Persian Gulf.
But the IMO admitted that a humanitarian corridor was needed to evacuate seafarers from the region.
The DMW’s notice to seafarers of the ‘right to refuse to sail’ remains in effect, particularly in high-risk areas, and war-hit regions.
The Philippines is among the largest suppliers of seafarers in the world.—Alvin Pelobello, Eurotv News