DMW: 5 maritime areas tagged as having ‘war-like’ conditions

FIVE maritime areas in the world are considered as having “war-like” conditions, making it more dangerous for Filipino seafarers to sail into, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

In an advisory, the DMW said the five areas tagged as warlike operations area (WOA) in the International Bargaining Forum (IBF) list are off the mainland Yemeni coast, including all ports and excluding the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC) in its entirety.

Also considered as WOA is the southern section of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with boundary commencing from the Yemeni coast border stretching across to the Eritrea coast.

The DMW said the Sea of Azov and the Strait of Kerch, the Northern Black Sea Region, and all ports in Ukraine are also considered as WOA

The DMW reminded ship owners and employers of the applicable benefits for Filipino seafarers, including bonus equal to basic wage that is payable for five days minimum; double compensation for death and disability; right to refuse sailing with repatriation at company’s cost and compensation equal to two month’s basic wage; and mandatory requirement to increase security arrangements.

The DMW said the Black Sea is being classified in the IBF list as a high-risk area (HRA), which means seafarers are entitled to bonus equal to basic wage payable for the actual duration of stay/transit; doubled compensation for death and disability; right to refuse sailing with repatriation at company’s cost and compensation equal to two month’s basic wage; and recommended to increase security arrangements.

The DMW also said that the Gulf of Guinea covering the Liberia/Ivory Coast border to the Angola/Namibia border are deemed as an “extended risk zone” in the IBF.

This means seafarers are entitled to bonus equal to basic wage that is payable only on the day the vessel is attacked in an act of piracy; and doubled compensations for death and disability if they occur on the day the vessel is attacked.

The DMW advisory comes amid the spate of vessel attacks in different maritime areas, most of which in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

To note, Filipino sea-based workers comprises about 25 percent of 1.5 million mariners