MARINO party-list solon wants quarterly reports on welfare, rights of Pinoy seafarers

MARINO party-list solon wants quarterly reports on welfare, rights of PH seafarers
Charissa Luci-Atienza July 20, 2019 https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/07/20/marino-party-list-solon-wants-quarterl...

MARINO partylist Rep. Carlo Lisandro Gonzalez wants the Inter-Agency Council on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member-State Audit Scheme, to regularly apprise the House of Representatives on the progress of the government’s compliance with the IMO instruments relating to the promotion and protection of the welfare and rights of Filipino seafarers.

He filed House Resolution 71, calling on the Inter-Agency Council on the IMSAS to ensure that the Philippines is compliant with the commitments and obligations as one of the IMO member-states.

“The Inter-Agency Council on the IMSAS shall be directed to submit to the Committee on Transportation and the Commitee on Overseas Workers Affairs of the House of Representatives quarterly reports on the efforts of national government agencies involved in the implementation of applicable IMO instruments relating to the safety of life at sea; prevention of pollution from ships; standards of training , certification, and watchkeeping for seafarers; load lines; tonnage measurement of ships; and regulations for preventing collissions at sea,” he said in filing the resolution.

Gonzalez said the adoption of rules and regulations implementing the provisions of the IMO instruments shall also be part of the report to be submitted by the Council to the Lower Chamber.

The neophyte lawmaker said he also wanted to see in the report the “progress of implementation of the National Work Program to ensure that international obligations as a flag, port and coastal state are fully satisfied.”

“The Inter-ACgency Council on the IMSAS was created to ensure full compliance with the commitments and obligations of the Philippines as a member-state of the IMO, pertaining to the implementation of IMO instruments in an integrated manner in preparation for the IMSAS,” he noted.

On July 2, 2019, President Duterte issued Executive Order No. 84, creating the Inter-Agency Council on the IMO member-state audit scheme (IMSAS).

The Council is composed of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation as chairperson, the Administrator of Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as vice chairperson, and representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Cebu Port Authority as members.