Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Sunday extolled Filipino seafarers as “one of the bravest in the world.”
He said it is for this reason why many employers prefer their company at sea.
The labor chief said this as he led officials in the warm welcome for Chief officer Eduardo Sareno and deck crew Jay-nel Rosales, the two survivors of the ill-fated cargo ship that sank off the turbulent waters of southern Japan early this month.
Sareno and Rosales were flown home Saturday via Philippine Airlines from Tokyo after undergoing medical checkups and spending weeks in hotel quarantine in accordance with health protocols in Japan to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The two were rescued by the Japanese Coast Guard days after Panamanian-registered M/V Livestock 1 experienced engine trouble in high seas amid one of the strongest typhoons to hit Japan in years. The rest, except one, in the 43-man crew of the cargo vessel remain missing without a trace, according to Coast Guard of Japan.
The remains of Filipino crewman Joel Canete Linao were flown home Friday. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
