ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Thirteen seafarers, including six Filipinos and seven Indian nationals, who had been stranded aboard the M/V Hirman Star in the Iloilo Strait for nearly three months, were rescued through coordinated efforts led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

The rescue, conducted in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Iloilo local government, was prompted by the vessel’s seaworthiness issues and the crew’s complaints of unpaid wages.

DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. had been monitoring the situation and emphasized the need to not only rescue the seafarers but also ensure they receive proper compensation.

“Hindi sapat ang marescue lang—dapat maibigay ‘yung tamang sahod,” Cacdac said, adding that extending help to Indian nationals was in the spirit of reciprocity. “Tinutulungan din tayo ng ibang nationalities sa ibang bansa.”

Each of the six Filipino crew members received ₱50,000 in immediate aid from the DMW’s AKSYON Fund and an additional ₱50,000 from OWWA, along with other support services.

The Indian seafarers opted to remain on board but were given food and other essential supplies. The Bureau of Immigration is currently assisting them in arranging their disembarkation.

OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan, who led the negotiations, said the ship owner, who was new to hiring Filipino seafarers, used a contract that was “unfair and unethical.”

The vessel’s manning agency, Erika Crewmanning Services Inc., currently has a suspended license status with the DMW and may face legal action for recruitment violations, contract substitution, delayed wage payments, and abandonment.