The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has confirmed that three of the 21 Filipino crew members aboard the MV Eternity C have died following a brutal attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said the agency has already informed the families of the victims. The bulk carrier, which was sailing under a Liberian flag, came under fire from explosive drones and rocket-propelled grenades reportedly launched by Yemen-based militants.
The MV Eternity C was carrying 22 crew members — 21 of whom were Filipino — when it was attacked and eventually sank. Five Filipino seafarers were rescued earlier and are now safe, although they may have sustained minor injuries. Their exact location has not been disclosed for security reasons.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac earlier said that verification of the situation was being prioritized, noting that the best source of information would come from the rescued survivors. “We still have to confirm, and the best source at this stage will be the seafarers themselves,” he said during a briefing.
Search efforts continue for the 13 other missing crew members, with authorities holding on to hope that more survivors will be found. “We’re looking for those who could have gone overboard and [we’re] still hoping that they are still alive,” Cacdac said.
Following the incident, the Philippine government reaffirmed its policy barring Filipino seafarers from boarding vessels that travel through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden — areas now officially classified as “war-like zones.” Manning agencies are required to submit written guarantees and full itineraries before deployment is approved.
