Numerous Filipino seamen are stranded in floating danger zones as a result of the Houthi’s increasing attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. Their families are halfway around the world, holding phones and hoping for miracles. While their loved ones send increasingly frantic texts about nearby explosions and emergency drills, relatives in Manila and rural towns recount restless nights spent monitoring ship movements on nautical apps.
The Galaxy Leader, a car carrier that was hijacked in November while carrying 17 Filipinos, is one of the most horrific occurrences. Families report that their sailors are now being exploited as “human shields,” compelled to participate in Houthi propaganda movies, and denied the opportunity to communicate effectively. One distraught wife, who last heard her husband’s voice 47 days ago, says, “My husband looks thinner in each video they release,”
With more than 30% of merchant marine crews worldwide being Filipino, the Philippine government is under increasing pressure to protect its citizens. Due to contractual responsibilities and financial necessity, many families claim that their relatives are still stranded on ships that are still navigating the Red Sea route, even though some shipping companies are now rerouting around Africa.
Manila’s Department of Foreign Affairs is engaging with several Middle Eastern governments while anxious families call for swifter action as the Iran-backed rebels promise to step up their attacks. As the crisis highlights the human cost of geopolitics on the most vulnerable labourers in the globe, church groups throughout the Philippines have started hosting special masses for the missing seamen.
