DMW bars Filipino seafarers from ships passing Red Sea, Gulf of Aden

DMW Building. (File Photo: Department of Migrant Workers/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday issued an order that prohibits the deployment of Filipino seafarers on cruise and passenger ships that sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Department Order 2, signed by DMW officer-in-charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac and takes effect immediately, directs licensed manning agencies (LMAS) and other stakeholders to ensure that vessels being boarded by Filipino seafarers will not traverse these zones.

The move comes after the inclusion of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in the recent amendments to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and International Bargaining Forum (IBF) list of “High-Risk Areas” (HRAs) and “War-like Zones” (WLZs).

DO 2 orders all LMAs to execute an affirmation letter stating that the ship to be boarded by their respective seafarers will not pass through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

They should also indicate the itinerary of the vessel every time it documents the employment contract of the crew, or before their deployment.

“The seafarers to be assigned to passenger/cruise ships are likewise required to affix their signatures to indicate their concurrence to the said affirmation letter, confirming knowledge that the vessel they will be boarding will not traverse the aforementioned WOAs (War-like Operations Areas),” the department order read.

The affirmation letter, duly executed by the LMAs and with the consent of the seafarers, shall then be uploaded in the DMW Online Processing System for Seabased (DOPS-Sea) together with the processed one-page covering standard employment contract (SEC).

In case of manual processing, the DMW said the affirmation letter shall form part of the required documents to be submitted to its Sea-based Accreditation Bureau.

In March, the DMW and the Philippine Maritime Industry Tripartite Council agreed to underscore the urgent need for a stricter protocol to ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers navigating the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

“The DMW remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Filipino seafarers. These measures reflect the DMW’s dedication to ensuring safe working conditions and protecting our seafaring workforce,” Cacdac said.