Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers still under review – PCO

Seafarers processing their employment documents gather at the Seafarer’s Shed on T.M. Kalaw Street in Ermita, Manila. This photo was taken in December 2022. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is still under review, said Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil on Monday.

Marcos was supposed to sign the law in Malacañan Palace, with lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate in attendance.

“Under further review,” Cheloy said on the sidelines of the signing of other laws.

The bill has been in Congress for more than a decade.

In 2022, a total of 50,000 Filipino seafarers in European Union ships faced the risk of losing their livelihood due to the Philippines’ non-compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

Marcos certified the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers as urgent in September 2023.

The president said that the measure would guarantee the Philippines’ compliance with international maritime rules and regulations.