‘WE SURVIVED’: 3 Ilonggo seafarers plead to escape Black Sea war zone

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

After narrowly escaping a drone attack that tore through their vessel in Ukraine, three Ilonggo seafarers are pleading to return home, saying they remain traumatized and fear another voyage amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine war.

The families sought assistance from the Iloilo Provincial Public Employment Service Office (PESO) on Monday, July 27, to expedite the seafarers’ return to the Philippines.

PESO head Cynthia Dario said the three Ilonggos are among the 22 Filipino crew members aboard MV Inase, which was struck by an apparent drone or missile while berthed at the Port of Pivdennyi in Ukraine on July 18.

The affected seafarers are from Barangay Ilajas in Dingle, Barangay Mat-y in Miagao, and Barangay Ortiz in Iloilo City’s City Proper district.

Reports indicated that a projectile struck the vessel’s B Deck superstructure, igniting a fire and blowing a large hole through the accommodation area.

The explosion caused extensive structural damage, while two Filipino crew members were injured — an able seaman who sustained a head injury and a second officer who suffered a hand injury.

“The families came to the office because they wanted their relatives to be repatriated. They (seafarers) are now in Romania, but the seafarers fear they are still not safe because of their situation,” Dario said.

“We are fast-tracking the repatriation. We are coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to help bring them back to the Philippines as soon as possible,” she added.

PESO Iloilo and OWWA-6 are set to meet this week to expedite the repatriation of the three seafarers.

Following the attack, MV Inase proceeded to Constanta, Romania, for inspection.

However, the affected Filipino crew members have remained on board while awaiting instructions from the ship’s management.

⟨added⟩ The strike on MV Inase was part of a sharp escalation of attacks in the northern Black Sea. As of July 20, the Department of Migrant Workers reported that nine vessels carrying about 139 Filipino seafarers had come under attack while berthed at or transiting ports in Ukraine and Russia, leaving two Filipinos dead and 12 injured.

⟨added⟩ One of those killed, Jude Prado Pagunsan of Valderrama, Antique, was aboard the MV Venturo when it was struck at the same Port of Pivdennyi on July 18.

⟨added⟩ Through Advisory No. 41, series of 2026, the Department of Migrant Workers has classified all Ukrainian ports as warlike operations areas and the Black Sea as a high-risk zone, and it has ordered a temporary deployment ban to the region. Under the advisory, seafarers may refuse to sail into such areas.

One of the Ilonggo seafarers, Ram-Ram Cerbo of Miagao, posted on Facebook on Sunday, July 26, to appeal for help, saying the crew continues to suffer from trauma more than a week after the attack.

“Thank you Lord for the second life. We survived, although I sustained minor injuries. The important thing is that we are alive,” he wrote.

He claimed that despite the incident, the vessel’s principal, Evalend Shipping Co., has not allowed the affected Filipino seafarers to disembark.

Instead, he said, they had been instructed to stay aboard the vessel and continue its voyage to Turkey, which would require crossing the Black Sea.

The Black Sea remains a high-risk maritime area due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with commercial vessels facing threats from drone and missile attacks, naval mines, and strikes on port facilities.

“We have the right to disembark because of the severe trauma caused by the drone attack that happened during our transit in Odesa, Ukraine, on July 18,” Cerbo said.

“It has already been one week and we still have not been allowed to go home. We are appealing to anyone who can help us,” he added.