Following a lethal attack on a Saudi-operated oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has pledged full support to the families of two deceased Filipino seafarers while issuing a stern reminder to shipowners and manning agencies regarding safety compliance in high-risk conflict zones.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved families and confirmed that the agency is moving swiftly under directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide financial, legal and humanitarian aid.
“We are coordinating closely with the vessel’s owner, its licensed manning agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and our embassy and Migrant Workers Office in Oman,” Cacdac said. He assured that the DMW is facilitating the prompt repatriation of the seafarers’ remains and ensuring their families receive all entitled insurance proceeds, statutory benefits and compensation under their employment contracts and Philippine law.
The tragedy comes closely on the heels of DMW Advisory No. 53, Series of 2026, issued on Aug. 28, which reinforced strict security protocols and protected the rights of maritime workers operating in dangerous waters.
Highlighting the recent incident involving the M/V SIDR, Cacdac stressed that shipowners and licensed manning agencies are strictly required to conduct thorough risk assessments, implement security measures, consider vessel escorts, and adhere to mandatory reporting protocols before entering conflict-affected maritime corridors.
Meanwhile, the DMW chief reiterated that Filipino maritime workers possess the absolute legal right to refuse assignment to high-risk zones.
“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,” said Cacdac. “We are disallowing deployment to the extent that a seafarer exercises the right to refuse to sail. That right must be respected, and workers must be given an informed choice before voyage assignment.”
The DMW has launched an investigation into the M/V SIDR attack to determine whether the vessel’s operators complied with all required safety safeguards prior to transiting the Strait of Hormuz.