Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
There’s a piece of good news at the Senate that should make the workers in the maritime sector happy. It’s the approval by the senators on third and final reading of the Magna Carta of Seafarers, a long sought-after by seafarers and their lawmaker-supporters.
The Magna Carta seeks to outline and lay down the rules on the rights of Filipino mariners and sets guidelines for their training and overseas employment. With 14 affirmative votes, the upper chamber passed Senate Bill 2221 Wednesday evening.
The Magna Carta of Seafarers aims to secure their rights to decent, just and humane conditions aboard sea-going vessels, and sets guidelines for their training and education, overseas employment, and retirement.
Included in the measure are provisions about the seafarers’ reintegration program, grievance system and social welfare benefits.
It is well to note that the Senate approved the bill two days after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos certified it as urgent.
If there is a sector of the economy that has been reaping blessings and benefits from the Marcos administration, it is the seafarers, shipping, and maritime sector. We recall that one of the diplomatic achievements of President Marcos’ trip to Europe early this year was his successful representation to the European Commission (EC) to recognize the Philippine certification of its seafarers even as reforms in their education and training are being addressed.
If certification from the Philippine maritime system relative to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention and Code was withdrawn by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), it would have meant the loss of jobs for thousands of our seafarers.
In a letter to Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Hernani N. Fabia dated March 23, 2023, the EC recognized the Philippines’ “concrete progress and improvement with regard to compliance of the requirements under the STCW Convention.”
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Philippines was the top source of seafarers in the world in 2021. The country deployed more than 400,000 Filipino seafarers overseas, on average, from 2016 to 2021, according to the MARINA.
President Marcos is on the right track in advocating unity and cooperation between the government and the private sector in innovating and modernizing the shipping industry — with the use of new and sustainable fuels and the deployment of digitalization and automation.
In a recent Seafarers Summit in Pasay City, Marcos said “there is a need for the shipping industry to adapt and integrate new developments into their fleets, starting with the retooling of existing ships and the building of newer and more modern ships equipped with these new technologies.”
Marcos said: “With all hands on deck, we must come together to envision and shape the future of the industry and global trade for the next 25 years. We can do this by identifying the skills required for the new generation of ships, discussing education and training requirements, and committing to a fair and just transition to build a future-ready and resilient shipping industry.”
The approval of the Magna Carta of Seafarers into law would be a great stride toward achieving the President’s vision for the shipping industry.
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
