The creation of a Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers would help address concerns regarding global training standards and improve their competitiveness and personal advantage, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday, November 9.

Gatchalian, in filing Senate Bill No. 822 said it is imperative to create the Magna Carta for the country’s seafarers to codify their rights, grant them better protection and provide them with competencies through proper education and skills training.

The bill is now pending before the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers which is headed by Senator Raffy Tulfo.

The senator’s call came as the European Maritime Safety Agency’s (EMSA) sets a deadline this month to some maritime schools in the country to comply with international standards on training and certification for seafarers.

Non-compliance to the EMSA’s requirement could lead to job losses for thousands of Filipino seafarers.

Gatchalian said the “Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers” seeks to ensure that Filipino seafarers are continuously nurtured, protected, and guided by the government in terms of setting up mechanisms that can protect them even beyond the country’s borders, recognize their rights, contributions, and unique role as essential maritime professionals.

He noted that the Philippines continues to be one of the major suppliers of maritime labor globally and the high demand for Filipino seafarers has resulted in sea-based remittances to reach $6.54-billion in 2021, accounting for 21 percent of total dollar remittances, Gatchalian said.

“Ito ay isang patunay kung gaano kalaki ang kontribusyon ng industriya sa paglago ng ekonomiya ng bansa kaya’t dapat magkaroon ng mga mekanismo na lalong magpapalakas sa industriya at magbibigay ng sapat na proteksyon sa ating mga marino (This is a proof of how much the industry contributes to the growth of the country's economy, so there must be mechanisms that will further strengthen the industry and provide adequate protection to our mariners),” Gatchalian said.

He said the measure also seeks to ensure that Filipino seafarers are afforded the right to just terms and conditions of work, the right to educational advancement and training at reasonable and affordable costs, and the right to fair treatment in the event of a maritime accident, among others.

The bill also ensures that seafarers’ employment shall cease upon completion of the period of their contractual service.

While leaders from the transportation, labor, foreign affairs, and migrant workers departments vowed to address concerns on training standards, Gatchalian said it is imperative to address the concerns of seafarers as soon as possible.