MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is set to declare the Gulf of Aden a “high-risk area” and Filipino crewmembers of ships passing though it need to get hazard pay, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said Wednesday.

After a dialogue with ship owners, manning agencies and unions of officers and seafarers, Roque said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration governing board will convene in a couple of days to finalize the new labor order.

"With the Gulf of Aden declared a high-risk area, Filipino seafarers who will be on ships passing this place will get hazard pay for the duration that they were in the high-risk area," he said.

"The hazard pay is double the normal pay," Roque said.

The proposal comes as hijackings off lawless Somalia become rampant and 97 Filipinos remain in pirates’ hands. Sixty-three other foreign crewmembers are also being held captive.

"We cannot just sit here and not do anything about the situation -- Filipino seafarers' lives are at stake," Vice President Noli De Castro, who presided over the meeting, said.

In the proposal, Roque said that Filipino seafarers informed only belatedly their ship would cross the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden have the right to end their employment contract in case they do not want to avail of the hazard pay.

"The circular would effectively amend existing contracts," he said.

During the dialogue, ship owners and manning agencies said all the Filipino hostages were in good condition. Some were even able to talk to their families.

The ship owners and manning agencies said that kidnapped Filipino seamen continue to receive their salaries through their families.

Asked if they would receive additional compensation, Roque said this was being discussed.

At the international level, Roque said the Philippines is increasing its level of dialogue with international organizations, like the United Nations Security Council, in its request for increased patrol of the area.

The situation is of particular interest to the Philippines because the country is the world's biggest supplier of seafarers, providing about 28 percent of the shipping world's labor requirement.