Filipino Seaman Missing After Ship Incident Near Strait of Hormuz, Philippine Official Says

A Filipino seaman is currently missing after a ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a Philippine official confirmed on Monday, as authorities continue monitoring Filipino crews sailing in high-risk waters across the Middle East.

Hans Leo Cacdac, secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), said the government is closely tracking the situation.

“We are closely monitoring Filipino seafarers, including a missing crew member, amid the escalating tensions in the Middle East,” Cacdac said.

Over 6,000 Filipino seafarers in high-risk areas

According to the DMW, around 6,300 Filipino seafarers are currently on board ships navigating designated high-risk areas in the Middle East.

These include vessels passing through key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, where security concerns have increased amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

Cacdac said the agency continues to coordinate with seafarers, ship owners, and manning agencies to confirm details and track Filipino crew members through communication channels and group chats.

Family of missing seafarer already assisted

Officials said teams from the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have already visited the family of the missing seafarer to offer support.

“He is missing at the moment, and we are hoping that the search and rescue will yield positive results,” Cacdac said.

Authorities are currently working with the Royal Navy of Oman, which is leading search and rescue efforts in the area where the incident reportedly happened.

Ship incident reported earlier this month

Cacdac did not name the vessel involved, but reports last week said the Omani Navy evacuated 24 crew members from a Malta-flagged cargo ship that came under bombardment near the Strait of Hormuz on March 4.

Meanwhile, the DMW said it is also monitoring at least three ships currently anchored in the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Seafarers allowed to refuse sailing in war-risk zones

Over the weekend, the Philippine government reminded Filipino seafarers that they have the right to refuse sailing in designated “war-risk zones.”

This means crew members can request to disembark if their ships are scheduled to pass through areas such as the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman, where tensions remain high.

Authorities said monitoring and coordination with maritime partners are ongoing as search operations continue.