Lawmakers file bill instituting Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers

MANILA, Philippines – Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Benguet Rep. Eric Yap have filed a house bill that would institute the Magna Carta of Filipino seafarers.

House Bill No. 1758 would supposedly improve the working conditions, terms of employment, career prospects, and opportunities for Filipino seafarers, as well as promulgating policies to uplift Filipino sailors, according to a press statement received on Saturday.

“Filipino seafarers remain underrepresented as there are still persisting repetitive drudgery and risk in working conditions, illegal recruitment, lack of onshore welfare services and social protection, and insufficient medical care in their field,” the statement said.

To streamline processes that mariners experience, the bill is proposing the Philippine Seafarer One-Stop Processing as an integrated document processing center.

Rep. Duterte also said that the bill is aligned with and strengthens the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC), of which the Philippines is a member.

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