Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on the Release of 17 Filipino Seafarers Held in Yemen

We express our sincere gratitude to the government of Oman and His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik for tirelessly mediating for peace in the Middle East and for the release of our 17 kababayans who were held hostage by Yemen's Houthi rebels since November 2023. This is a testament of the unwavering diplomatic efforts of President Bongbong Marcos through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

Back in 2023, we called on our government agencies to secure the safety and freedom of these brave Filipino seafarers, and today, we are grateful to see those efforts come to fruition. The establishment of the DMW, which we principally sponsored and authored in the Senate, has proven to be instrumental in ensuring faster and more efficient services to our OFWs in crisis situations.

Sa atin pong mga OFW at kanilang mga pamilya, hangad po namin ang inyong patuloy na kaligtasan at proteksyon. Asahan po ninyo na ipagpapatuloy natin ang ating serbisyo para sa inyong kapakanan.