House Speaker Martin Romualdez during the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) Agency Summit on Monday, Aug. 19 (Speaker’s Office)

Calling it a "historic piece of legislation", House Speaker Martin Romualdez hailed President Marcos for signing on Monday, Sept. 23 Republic Act (RA) No.12021, or the Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers. 

The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is the law which, among other provisions, prescribes the rights and duties of Filipino sailors, their qualifications, terms of employment, and education, and training requirements. 

“This historic piece of legislation will ensure the protection and continuous employment of our Filipino sailors, most of whom are employed by foreign shipping companies. They will be able to continue to support their families back home,” Romualdez said. 

The leader of the 300-plus-strong House of  Representatives said the law updates existing regulations to keep them abreast with world standards. 

“With this measure, we hope we can remain to be the largest supplier of seafarers in the world,” he said. 

They Leyte 1st district congressman says that the signing of the law is timely, since the world is celebrating Maritime Day 2024 on Thursday. 

The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers also protects women sailors against discrimination, Romualdez said. 

Filipino mariners account for a large part of foreign exchange remittances to the country. “Their remittances contribute significantly to keeping the economy on the high-growth path...Our seafarers are among our modern-day heroes,” stressed the Speaker. 

The new law includes provisions on seafarers’ rights and duties, women in the maritime industry, emergency rescue of domestic seafarers, manning levels and crew competency requirements, terms and conditions of employment; accommodation and food. 

Provisions on medical care, inspection and enforcement, green lane for overseas and domestic mariners, requirements for Philippine-registered ships on shipboard training, incentives and awards granted to the maritime industry, repatriation, reintegration, education and training, and dispute resolution are also covered. 

House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acide, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs (OWA), said the law sufficiently addresses the concerns of foreign employers on the education, training and competency of Filipino seafarers. 

“We hope our sailors will not face the same threats of being blacklisted made in the past by some shipping companies in Europe due to these concerns. Our law conforms with international legislation and standards, which means that foreign companies will mostly likely continue employing our sailors,” Acidre said. 

Meanwhile, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo, erstwhile chairman of the OWA panel, similarly welcomed the signing of the pro-overseas Filipino worker (OFWs) law. 

"The signing of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is not just a win for our maritime workforce—it is a victory for the entire maritime industry. The law provides the legal foundation to safeguard the rights, enhance working conditions, and secure the futures of our seafarers," said Salo. 

"Filipino seafarers are the lifeblood of global shipping, and they deserve nothing less than robust legal protection as they navigate the seas," he noted.