President Marcos on Tuesday, Sept. 26, certified the proposed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers as urgent, effectively asking the Senate, where the bill is currently pending, for its immediate passage.

Filipino seafarers (Photos from the Maritime Industry Authority)

A statement from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the bill would “specify the rights and ensure the welfare of Filipino seafarers, including the reintegration program, grievance system, and social welfare benefits.”

The Chief Executive made the request to pass Senate Bill No. 2221, titled “An Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Filipinos Seafarers,” to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri through a letter dated Sept. 25.

“Pursuant to the provisions of the Article VI, Section 26 (2) of the 1987 Constitution, I hereby certify to the necessity of the immediate enactment of Senate Bill No. 2221,” the letter read.

The bill, the PCO said, aims “to address recurring deficiencies in the domestic laws pertaining to the training and accreditation of thousands of Filipino seafarers which endanger their employment in the European market in particular, and the global maritime arena, in general.”

Marcos also added that it is a signal to the international community that the Philippines is ready to comply with its obligations of ensuring that Filipino seafarers’ training, facilities, and equipment are at par with the international standards, as well as those set by relevant international conventions.

This certification as urgent came after the decision of the European Commission (EC) to extend the recognition by the European Union (EU) of the Philippine certificates for seafarers onboard European vessels.

The Philippines has committed to ensure that the country would follow the education and training requirements in line with the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) for Seafarers after an earlier threat that some 50,000 Filipino seafarers could lose their jobs.

The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, or House Bill No. 7325, was already approved by the House of Representatives on final reading on March 6 this year with 304 “yes” votes.

Last week, Zubiri said that the legislation was among the 20 priority bills the President asked Congress to pass before the year ends.

He has high hopes that the bill will be passed on third reading by the Senate this week.

Filipino seafarers traditionally comprised one-third of the seafarers in the world but in 2021, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development reported that the country became the top source of seafarers.

According to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the country deployed an average of more than 400,000 Filipino seafarers overseas from 2016 to 2021.