MUSCAT, Oman – In a hard-won diplomatic breakthrough, ten Filipino crew members from the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Eternity C – sunk by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in a brazen Red Sea assault last July – were released on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, and flown to safety in Muscat, Oman. The emotional liberation, mediated by Omani officials amid a tense prisoner swap, brought an end to five months of harrowing captivity for the seafarers, who endured isolation, threats, and uncertainty in Sana’a as pawns in the Iran-backed militants’ campaign against Israel-linked shipping. The group, part of a 22-member crew including 21 Filipinos, was transported on an Omani plane, greeted by a contingent of Philippine and Omani officials upon touchdown – a poignant homecoming for families back in Manila who had clung to hope through endless vigils and desperate pleas.
The release unfolded with quiet drama at Sana’a airport, where Houthi security sources confirmed the handover as part of a broader humanitarian exchange. “The crew of the ship Eternity C have been released through Omani mediation, and a plane is transporting them from Sana’a to Muscat,” announced the rebels’ Al-Masirah television channel on X. Footage from Oman TV captured the exhausted but relieved mariners stepping off the aircraft, their faces etched with the toll of ordeal but lighting up at the sight of waiting diplomats. “Ten of the crew ‘left Sanaa airport’ on Wednesday afternoon,” the channel added, underscoring the swift extraction.
The deal, a delicate dance of concessions, saw Oman – a neutral broker in the region’s fractious feuds – secure the Filipinos’ freedom in exchange for repatriating 35 stranded Yemenis, including wounded fighters receiving treatment abroad. “An agreement was reached with the Omani side for the return of the sick and wounded who are abroad. They will be handed over to Sana’a, and the crew of the Eternity C will be handed over to the Omani side,” a Houthi security source revealed. The swap, described as the result of “pressure” from Sana’a, also facilitated the return of other Yemenis marooned in foreign lands, with an Omani political delegation touching down in Yemen to advance talks with Saudi Arabia on broader humanitarian fronts.
The Eternity C’s sinking on July 7, 2025, was a chilling chapter in the Houthis’ year-long maritime mayhem, launched in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s Gaza offensive. The bulk carrier, carrying 21 Filipinos and one other national, was pummeled by sea drones and RPGs in the vital Red Sea corridor – a chokepoint for 12% of global trade – becoming one of two commercial vessels fully sunk that month. Eight crew were rescued in the chaos, but these ten – along with a deceased colleague’s remains – were seized and shuttled to Sana’a. The Houthis, who have struck over 100 ships since November 2023, released footage of the attack, claiming they “rescued an unspecified number of the crew and took them to a safe location.” No claims have surfaced since an October Gaza truce.
Philippine authorities, led by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), had been in a high-stakes sprint for the captives’ release. DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro personally lobbied Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi in July, following up in November. “The release was the outcome of efforts of Oman, in cooperation with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs,” the DFA confirmed, extending profound thanks to the Sultanate. DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac, who joined the flight from Sana’a, called the moment “priceless,” witnessing “hugs, kisses, and tears of joy” upon landing. A one-stop-shop at NAIA will fast-track document processing, with OWWA providing financial aid, counseling, and medical care.
The safe return of all surviving crew from the Eternity C closes a painful chapter for Filipino seafaring families, many from Iloilo’s tight-knit communities. In response to the Red Sea perils, the government has banned Filipinos from boarding vessels through the corridor and Gulf of Aden – designated “war-like zones” – with manning agencies facing suspensions for violations. “Hopefully this will be the last,” Cacdac said, vowing stricter safeguards for the 400,000 overseas Filipino seafarers who keep global trade afloat.
As the ten heroes step onto Philippine soil, their story isn’t just survival – it’s solidarity, a testament to quiet diplomacy’s power in a world of warring waves. Welcome home, indeed.