The hijacking incident of a bulk carrier with 21 Filipino seafarers onboard came at a time when the country welcomed back 15 seamen released by Somali pirates.

“This is a happy moment for some of our seamen because they came home, reunited with their families. But also at the same time, they were united in saying they should continue to pray for those other Filipino seamen who are still in Somalia,” DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. said during an interview on ANC’s Top Story Thursday.

The 15 freed seamen were reunited with their families upon their arrival Thursday in Manila. 

Conejos personally met with the 15 released seafarers at the airport. He said two other seamen will be arriving on Friday, and another batch composed of 20 seafarers will arrive on Saturday.

Conejos earlier confirmed that seamen were onboard the hijacked vessel M/V African Sanderling.

“We got a confirmation today that another ship with 21 Filipino seamen was hijacked last Tuesday 14 October. There is no contact yet between the ship owner and the pirates, but we are trying to establish that contact,” he said.

He said Somali pirates hijacked a total of 12 ships with 140 Filipino crew held hostage from April to October.

“All of them have been released except for four ships and a total crew of about 74 Filipinos,” he said.

He explained that negotiations are usually established between two to four days after the incident.

“We expect by tomorrow, we should have already established contact. But what is important is they have assurance, from the last time they have contact with them, that all Filipino crew are safe,” he added.

According to Conejos, the government is now working for the release of the remaining hostages.

He, however, reiterated that it’s never a policy of the Philippine government to negotiate directly with pirates or pay ransom.

“What we do is coordinate. Put pressure on the ship owner, on the local manning agent in the Philippines, including the host government. That is what we have done in all of these cases,” said Conejos.

Protection plans

Concerned government agencies like the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have come up with guidelines to protect seafarers.

“With respect to the guidelines, we have met with the DOLE and the POEA on this matter. I think DOLE will come out with the regulations to amend the existing contracts of seamen wherein they will be given the opportunity to go down the ship before it enters dangerous waters. The option will always remain with them,” he said.

Filipino seafarers who decide to push through will be entitled to hazard pay in terms of increased compensation, including overtime pay.

The DFA also recommended to the labor department the possibility of imposing a ban on deployment of Filipino seafarers in dangerous waters.

“But we were advised, unlike in the case of land-based workers, the contracts of seamen are different. You only indicate the port of embarkation and disembarkation. In between, they can be moved around depending on the movement of the ship,” he said.

Furthermore, the DFA also issued guidelines to seamen to stick to a "safety corridor”, identified in conjunction with the coalition of naval forces operating in the area, to minimize the risk of piracy.

“In addition to that, we are also considering the possibility of convoy-type system for commercial ships going into the red sea,” said Conejos.