Filipino seafarers cannot be compelled to sail through waters they deem unsafe, and any decision to decline such voyages must be honored by their employers. This was the reminder issued by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to shipowners and licensed manning agencies, which underscored that worker safety remains the priority whenever routes pass through perilous zones such as the Strait of Hormuz.
The reminder was formalized through Advisory No. 53, Series of 2026, released on August 28, 2026, as a response to the growing security threats confronting Filipino crews at sea.
According to Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, employers carry the responsibility of shielding their workers from danger and cannot override a seafarer’s choice to avoid threatening waters.
“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.
Before any vessel enters conflict-affected or high-risk waters, the DMW set out several conditions that operators must satisfy. These cover the completion of risk assessments, the adoption of suitable security arrangements, the use of vessel escorts when circumstances call for them, and adherence to mandated reporting procedures.
Whether these precautions were followed will factor into the agency’s ongoing probe of the recent incident involving the M/V SIDR. Cacdac maintained that crews deserve a properly informed choice before committing to any passage through waters where their lives could be endangered.
