21 Pinoy seafarers rescued from Black Sea

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MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-one Filipino seafarers affected by drone strikes on vessels in the Black Sea were successfully rescued, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday.

According to the DFA, the affected sailors and crew were given immediate assistance by the consulate general in Istanbul, Turkey, in coordination with the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Lebanon and Philippine embassy in Ankara.

It was the first time that the consulate general handled a group of Filipino seafarers affected by the drone strikes.

The DFA said the seafarers transited in two batches to Istanbul on July 23 and 24, while waiting for repatriation.

During their extended layover, Consul General Christina Rola McKernan, together with Philippine Coast Guard personnel and MWO Lebanon labor attaché Adam Musa, provided meals and escorted the repatriates to their boarding gates to ensure a smooth onward journey.

So far, the consulate has been able to undertake 18 repatriation efforts this year, assisting a total of 136 affected Filipinos.