The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development chaired by Sen. Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva discussed anew on Monday several bills aimed to protect the rights of seafarers.
One of the bills tackled is Senate Bill 314, or “the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers Bill,” a bill authored by Senators Villanueva, Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Loren B. Legarda and Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, which aims to institute mechanisms to protect the country’s seafarers’ rights, provide them compulsory benefits, and enforce standards set by international laws.
The committee also discussed Senate Bill 429, or the “National Seafarers’ Commission,” which aims to create a centralized agency directly involved in promoting assistance to all seamen and seawomen; and Senate Bill 881, or the “Pilipinong Marino Act,” which gives greater protection and welfare of Filipino sea-based migrant workers through the creation of a National Seafarers Administration.
During the hearing, the major issue that was put into light was the decreasing number of Filipino seafarers being deployed. According to Ericson Marquez, vice chairman for External Affairs of Joint Ship Manning Group (JMG), from 400,000 seafarers deployed in 2017, the number decreased to 370,000 this year.
Marquez attributed the drop in the deployment of seafarers to the unreasonable awards or legal costs being shouldered by employers whenever injured seafarers file a medical claim. He further cited a situation wherein a company lost 20 ships due to an alleged unreasonable claim amounting to $250,000 for a cut middle finger sustained by a seafarer. Marquez said that these kinds of injuries are being declared as total and permanent disability, which costs the employer huge amounts of money that affect their businesses.
On the other hand, Dennis Gorecho from the National Seafarers’ Day Committee said that while these problems exist on the part of employers, it is more important to pass a law that will not limit the protection being given to seafarers and should instead reflect the greater interests of Filipino mariners.
Recognizing the issue at hand, Villanueva assured the stakeholders—employers and seafarers alike—that the committee will strike a balance in addressing issues coming from both sides that will protect the interests of ship owners while ensuring that rights and welfare of Filipino seafarers are safeguarded.
“We cannot afford to lose more jobs for Filipino seafarers,” Villanueva said.