15 Pinoy crew of sunken cargo vessel due home Wednesday

Fifteen Filipino crew members of a Barbados-registered cargo vessel that sank off Spain will arrive in Manila Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday. Citing a report from the Philippine Embassy in Madrid, the DFA said the 15 are to arrive in the afternoon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) via Thai Airways. Expected to welcome them are DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Executive Director Enrico Fos and officers of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the DFA said in its Web site. Fos said representatives of the local manning agency and indemnity insurance company would assist and assure the rescued Filipino seafarers of insurance and other benefits. He said the manning agencies also assured the seafarers of employment when they are able and ready. On the other hand, benefits for the families of the two Filipino seafarers still missing - Leonilo Rosales and Jimmy Gabayoyo – have been readied as well. The vessel MV Kea sank in Cape Villano in Galicia, Spain from St. Petersberg, Russia to Columbia last March. It had 19 Filipino seafarers on board. Of the 19, 17 Filipino seafarers were rescued. Fifteen were treated at the San Rafael Hospital in Coruna, Spain while two arrived in Rotterdam last April 3 after being rescued by another vessel, MV Sapphire. - KBK, GMANews.TV