2 Filipino Sailors Killed In Hormuz Attack
The Department of Migrant Workers said that the government is also working to facilitate the handling and repatriation of the two seafarers’ remains.
Two Filipino seafarers were killed after the Saudi-operated oil tanker Sidr was involved in a security incident while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 31, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) reported.
Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company Bahri confirmed that the incident occurred at about 11:40 p.m. local time while the tanker was passing through the strategic waterway.
The DMW did not immediately release the identities of the two seafarers, citing the need to complete notification and coordination procedures with their families.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has directed concerned DMW offices to provide immediate assistance to the affected crew members and the families of those who died.
The agency said that the government is also working to facilitate the handling and repatriation of the two seafarers’ remains.
The DMW likewise noted that the families of the deceased would be assisted in securing the benefits, compensation, insurance proceeds, and other entitlements provided under their employment contracts and applicable Philippine and international maritime regulations.
President Marcos has ordered agencies to provide immediate assistance to the families of the two seafarers who died in the latest attack at the Strait of Hormuz.
“The President and the administration condole with the family of the two seafarers from Cabuyao, Laguna and Daanbantayan, Cebu. The President directed the extending of assistance to the families of our two countrymen and the giving of their needs, including benefits, compensation and insurance proceeds,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a media briefing on Thursday, Sept. 3.
“The government will not neglect the families left behind by our two countrymen,” she added.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the DMW reiterated that Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse voyages through maritime areas where their safety could be at risk.
The department said that it had issued Advisory No. 53, Series of 2026, on Aug. 28, reminding shipowners and licensed manning agencies to strengthen safety measures for Filipino seafarers amid heightened security risks, including those in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We continue to remind shipowners to be mindful of the safety of our seafarers on board and to keep them out of harm’s way,” Cacdac said.
“We are disallowing deployment to the extent that a seafarer exercises the right to refuse to sail. That right must be respected,” he added.
The department also reminded shipowners to comply with requirements before undertaking voyages through conflict-affected or high-risk waters.
These include conducting risk assessments, putting appropriate security measures in place, considering vessel escorts when necessary and meeting required reporting procedures.
Cacdac said that the DMW would examine whether these safeguards were observed as part of its investigation into the Sidr incident.
The department emphasized that Filipino seafarers should be given sufficient information about the risks involved so they can make an informed decision before sailing through dangerous maritime areas. – With an additional report from Alexis Romero
