Ten Filipino seafarers who were aboard the Dutch-flagged cargo vessel MV Minervagracht have safely returned to the Philippines, following the ship’s missile attack in the Gulf of Aden on September 29, 2025.
According to the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), a government agency overseeing overseas Filipino workers, the crew arrived at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 via Air France Flight 224 on Saturday evening, October 4.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac personally welcomed the repatriated crew, stating that the government “remains committed to ensuring their full recovery and reintegration.” Upon arrival, they received financial and welfare assistance from the DMW, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) also provided retraining vouchers, while the crew’s licensed manning agency arranged temporary lodging.
Cacdac emphasized that each seafarer’s contractual benefits will be “properly delivered,” adding that the DMW will assist them in “finding new employment and restoring their livelihoods.”
The Minervagracht sustained significant damage after being struck by a cruise missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who later claimed responsibility for the attack, according to maritime intelligence and multiple news sources including HMT News. The strike reportedly caused a fire on board and forced the crew to abandon the vessel.
Twelve Filipino crew members were onboard during the incident; ten have now returned home, while two remain under medical care for injuries sustained during the attack.
