Manila, April 23 -- The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Thursday assured that the 15 Filipino seafarers aboard the two vessels seized by Iranian authorities near the Strait of Hormuz remain safe and unharmed.

In an online briefing, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac also assured that the Philippine government has heightened the monitoring of maritime conditions in the Persian Gulf.

On Wednesday, the MV Epaminondas and the MSC Francesca were seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in the Strait of Hormuz.

"We have a case of two ships, container ships, that have been seized by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. One ship has 10 Filipino seafarers. They're not fully Filipino-manned ships, but one ship has 10...