Seafarers salute at the 23rd National Seafarers’ Day in Manila on Sept. 29, 2019. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate approved Senate Bill No. 2221 — the proposed Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers — on its third and final reading on Wednesday, two days after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified it as urgent.
A total of 14 senators voted for the bill with nobody voting against it or abstaining.
“For all the seafarers, this is all for you. Of course, this is a gift from the president because he certified this bill as urgent and it really happened,” Sen. Raffy Tulfo, sponsor of the measure, said in his manifestation.
Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Services, said there was indeed an urgent need to pass the measure, noting that Filipino seafarers formed the backbone of the global maritime industry.
“The long overdue Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is no longer a dream. Our seafarers can now be assured of a safer maritime industry where they are more valued and protected and capacitated to perform their duties,” Poe said.
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In certifying the bill as urgent Marcos said he would need to enact the bill immediately to address “recurring deficiencies in our domestic laws pertaining to the training and accreditation of thousands of Filipino seafarers.”
Marcos said the be would also guarantee to the international community that the Philippines would comply with its obligation to ensure that maritime training, facilities, and equipment are at par with international standards.