Filipino sailors on ships near the Strait of Hormuz are stuck and worried about what's next.
According to a report in The Australian the situation at this sea route has left crew members uncertain. Some have been on board for weeks longer than expected watching news checking their phones and trying not to think much about the tensions in the waters around them.
One sailor, who did not want to be named told family members home that the hardest part is not knowing what will happen. "We just wait. We do our jobs. Every time a military ship passes by everyone stops and watches."
The Strait of Hormuz is a shipping lane. For the families of Filipino sailors it's about a husband, a father a brother stuck on a boat.
The Philippines supplies sailors to the worlds oceans. Thousands of Filipino sailors are on ships at any given time. When things get tense it's not a shipping problem. It's a problem for households back home waiting for money to arrive.
What this means for families home
For families the money from a sailors salary is essential. A prolonged disruption in the Hormuz Strait could mean delayed salaries or interrupted contracts.
The financial piece is part of it. There's also the worry from thousands of miles. The news cycle moves fast but reports from conflict zones don't always give families what they need to know: Is my person okay? When will they be home?
The emotional toll is hard to measure. It's there in every text message that takes long to get a reply.
What seafarers families should know
Stay in touch when you can. Communication might be spotty. Even a short message helps.
Have a plan. If money gets delayed it's helpful to have a buffer or someone to borrow from.
Know who to call. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and manning agencies have protocols for situations like this.
The Philippine government and agencies that deploy sailors are under pressure to support their workers. Having policies, on paper is one thing. Being able to get help to someone stuck on a ship in a sea route is another.
For now the sailors wait. They do their shifts. They check their phones.. Back home their families do the same.
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