MANILA, Philippines – Eight out of the 21 Filipino seafarers (Filseafarers) of the ill-fated M/V Eternity C has safely embarked at the port city of Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Tuesday.
The Filipino seafarers are now in the joint custody of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, the Migrant Workers’ Office – Jeddah, and their shipping agency, DFA added.
The Department also mentioned that the rescued seafarers will undergo mandatory medical assessment before their scheduled repatriation in the coming days.
In a press briefing in Pasay City on Monday, DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro told reporters that the Department is closely coordinating with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), and relevant Embassies and Consulates in the Middle East, most especially in Riyadh, Jeddah, Manama, Muscat, Yemen and even in London.
According to Lazaro, such coordination is to ascertain the condition of the Filipino seafarers affected by the attacks on M/V Eternity C.
“Sa ngayon, walo (8) sa 21 Pilipinong tripulanteng sakay ng Eternity C ang nailigtas na. Patuloy rin po tayong nakikipag-ugnayan sa ating mga kaibigang pamahalaan, lalung-lalo na sa Saudi Arabia at sa UK, at pati na rin sa UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) at International Maritime Organization (IMO),” Lazaro stated.
Bulk carrier M/V Eternity C was first attacked on 7 July 2025 afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources were quoted in a Reuters report.
Two security sources said that the vessel was attacked again on Tuesday night, forcing the crew to jump into the water.
Eternity C is the second vessel attacked in the Red Sea recently following an assault on the cargo ship MV Magic Seas, after months of calm in the region.
(With reports by Renee Maltezou, Yannis Souliotis and Jonathan Saul; editing by Jan Harvey, Saad Sayeed and Jason Neely / REUTERS)
