MANILA, Philippines – Fourteen Filipino seafarers on board a Greek-owned vessel were released by Somali pirates, the foreign affairs department reported Friday.

Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, the DFA said the released Filipino crew of MV Delvina are all safe and in good condition. The vessel and its crew are now on their way to Mombasa.

The release has reduced the number of captured Filipino seafarers off the coast of Somalia to 53, involving four vessels.

The DFA said the government continues to step up preventive and remedial efforts to address the continued increase in the number of piracy incidents and hostage-taking involving Filipino crew seafarers off the coast of Somalia.

Recently, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced its initiative to require Filipino seafarers to undergo anti-piracy training to teach them how to deal with piracy situations and how to avoid it.

DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration have also issued safety and security directives to manning agencies of ships sailing the Gulf of Aden.

Likewise, the DFA and DOLE continue to coordinate and meet with concerned manning agencies and their shipping principals on the release and repatriation of Filipino seafarers.

The government has also brought the piracy issue to the attention of the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations, and other international fora.

The Philippine government supports all efforts by the international community, whether at the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and the International Maritime Organization in London to put an end to the problem of piracy.