THE Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers has been approved by Congress on third and final reading earlier this year.

Deputy Speaker and Third District Rep. Rose Marie Arenas, author of House Bill No. 8057, said the role played by seafarers in national development, particularly their huge monetary contributions, supporting the country’s economic growth through their annual dollar remittances and boosting country’s national pride, “for being the seafarer of choice.”

In 2018, Arenas said their dollar remittances reached US$ 5.2-billion so “State must recognize their significance and grant them their much-needed support,” she said.

Arenas also said that seafarers’ lives are always at risk on board vessels, with every voyage, facing different perils of the sea.

“By reason of such circumstances, the government must find ample means to protect them, through the enforcement of laws, policies and regulations that will ensure their well-being, promote safety, health and welfare measures,” she added.

Arenas added that the Act is intended to strengthen and guarantee the implementation of provisions, rules and mechanisms all consistent with the standards set by the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), “so that our Filipino seafarers’ conditions of employment are duly and properly safeguarded, whether they are on board domestic or international vessels”.

The bill was first introduced by ANGKLA partylist during the 17th Congress. (Eva Visperas)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments