THE 12 Filipino seafarers stranded in Valencia, Spain, for eight months are finally home.

Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) administrator Carmelita Dimzon said the seafarers flew in at the NAIA Centennial Terminal aboard Philippine Airlines flight PR-307 from Hong Kong at about 8 o’clock the other night.

On hand to assist the sailors at the airport were Dimzon and members of the OWWA’s repatriation assistance division.

Dimzon said the government worked to get the OFWs exit clearances from Valencia to fly home because their Greek-owned ship, the M/V Nafto Cement, was disallowed by port authorities to leave port.

It will be recalled that their ship was arrested in Valencia, Spain, for various unsettled debts to creditors and that since April 11, 2010, the crew relied on their personal cellphones after the ship’s communication facilities were cut off totally.   

Dimzon said the 12 seafarers need post-trauma counseling and legal assistance to press payment from their recruitment agency for unpaid salaries.         

Meanwhile, the sailors will be briefed on their rights under their contracts and will be assisted by OWWA in claiming their salaries and filing complaints with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration against their local manning agency, Status Maritime Agency Corp.            

The post-trauma counseling will be conducted at the OWWA Halfway Home where the sailors could stay until their trip to the the Visayas and Mindanao could be arranged.

Meanwhile, Dimzon said OWWA will also offer the sailors livelihood assistance prepared by the Department of Labor and Employment, facilitate re-training for new skills certification by the Technical and Educational Skills Development Administration and brief them about the OFW reintegration loan program should they choose to stay home and start a small or medium enterprise of their own.   Itchie G. Cabayan