PBBM orders full gov’t support for 17 freed seafarers

THANKFUL. The 17 Filipino seafarers receive special blessing during a Thanksgiving mass for their safe return at the Department of Migrant Workers office in Mandaluyong City on Monday (Jan. 27, 2025). During the Mass, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the DMW to provide full assistance to the seafarers as they rebuild their lives. (Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to provide comprehensive support for the 17 Filipino seafarers of M/V Galaxy Leader who recently returned to the country after being freed by Houthi rebels.

Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac relayed the President’s message to the seafarers and their families at a thanksgiving Mass at the agency’s office in Mandaluyong City on Monday, the DMW said in a news release Tuesday.

“Tulungan natin silang makabangon muli (Let us help them rise again),” Marcos said.

The DMW chief referred to the freed seafarers as the “Courageous 17” after enduring 428 days of mental and psychological trauma while in Houthi captivity.

The Houthis hijacked the cargo vessel Galaxy Leader near Hodeidah in November 2023 while en route to India, taking hostage its 25 crew members, including the 17 Filipinos.

He said the seafarers and their families already received financial assistance, training certificates and gift bags from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Cacdac earlier assured employment, livelihood support, educational assistance and medical care for the seafarers and their families.

The Department of Health also committed to offering comprehensive medical and psychosocial support, while OWWA vowed to continuously communicate with the seafarers’ manning agency, the Sea Power Shipping Enterprises Inc., to assist each of the crew members, especially on the benefits that they would receive from the owner of the MV Galaxy Leader.

Meanwhile, Cacdac thanked the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for their efforts in facilitating the safe release and return of the seafarers.

He also recognized the support provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) during the crisis.

During the Mass, Fr. Paulo H. Prigol, CS, chaplain and director of the Apostolatus Maris Seafarers Center, also acknowledged the resilience and patience of the seafarers’ families throughout the ordeal.

A representative of the seafarers, meanwhile, expressed their collective gratitude to the President and the government for their tireless efforts in ensuring their release.

He also highlighted the critical role of the Marcos administration’s diplomatic negotiations with the government of His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman, in accomplishing the mission.

“I want to express my heartfelt thanks to President Bongbong Marcos for your leadership and unwavering support. Your efforts to ensure the safety and well-being for every Filipino, especially sa mga OFW, serves as a beacon of hope for all of us. Mabuhay po kayo,” he said.