Manila, March 8 -- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Friday said all reported abandoned Filipino seafarers have been rescued and repatriated to the Philippines.

In a press briefing on Friday, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured that the DMW is at the forefront of protecting the welfare and well-being of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), including abandoned Filipino seafarers, as included in the amended Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) adopted by the International Labour Organization's (ILO) International Labour Conference (ILC).

"So we are not strangers to pushing for protecting seafarers caught in abandonment situations," Cacdac said.

He said that under the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers signed by President F...