MANILA – The local manning agency of released Greek-owned vessel is now working on the repatriation of its 22 Filipino seafarers, the foreign affairs department announced Tuesday.

The DFA stated that Bright Maritime Corp., the local manning agency of MV Irene, confirmed the vessel’s release.

The agency told the DFA that negotiations for the release of the vessel and its crew had been successful.

It can be recalled that MV Irene was hijacked last April 14, 2009 in the Gulf of Aden.

With MV Irene’s release, the number of Filipino seafarers still in the hands of Somali pirates has gone down to 20, involving two vessels.

On Monday, Agence France Presse reported the vessel’s release as announced by Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers Assistance Programme.