Twenty-two Filipino seafarers returned safely to the Philippines on Sunday after being repatriated from Ukraine following a missile attack on their vessel.

The seafarers were aboard the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier M/V Antonia S when it was struck by a missile on Aug. 19 while berthed at Chornomorsk Port.

The crew was evacuated to a designated shelter after the attack and remained safe while arrangements were made for their temporary accommodation and eventual repatriation.

They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 aboard Turkish Airlines Flight TK084 and were welcomed by Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officials, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) personnel, and the airport medical team.

The returning seafarers also received financial assistance from the DMW AKSYON Fund under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s UPLIFT initiative.

DMW official Augusto San Diego III urged seafarers to know and exercise their rights, including refusing to sail when conditions pose a serious threat to their safety.

He also called on them to remember Filipino seafarers still working in high-risk and war-affected areas.

The seafarers will undergo medical and psychological assessments arranged by their licensed manning agency to address their physical and psychosocial needs following the traumatic incident.

The DMW also reminded manning agencies and their accredited principals to closely monitor the welfare of Filipino seafarers, observe safety precautions and comply with established protocols for vessels operating in high-risk areas.