PHL denies ban on seafarer deployment in Persian Gulf

THE Philippine government denied it imposed a ban on deploying seafarers to the Persian Gulf as tensions rise in the region.

Quoting Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the department has allowed crew changes, contradicting reports that Manila is restricting deployments amid rising tensions in the region due to the Iran war.

“It is not true… We have already told the industry in a meeting that we are allowing seafarers to replace the crew,” she told BusinessWorld in a Viber chat, quoting Mr. Cacdac.

The clarification comes as reports said the Philippines has advised crewing agencies to stop deploying Filipino seafarers to the Persian Gulf, particularly to high-risk or war-zone areas. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana