Labor Secretary Bello pushes for more protection for Pinoy seamen

More protection for seafarers pushed
William Depasupil October 22, 2021 https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/10/22/news/national/more-protection-for...

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd pushed for more protection for Filipino seamen, noting that the seafarers' bill of rights spelled out in the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 is no longer attuned to the present time.

Bello explained that the provision for the fair treatment and protection of seafarers in the International Labor Organization statute is ambiguous.

"[The Convention] only encourages the member-states to cooperate to facilitate the investigation of serious marine casualties. We need to act to correct such ambiguities in the code," he said.

"We strongly recommend the amendment of the Maritime Labor Convention to recognize seafarers as key workers," he added, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the global work landscape, including maritime labor.
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"Hence, we must chart strategic and appropriate measures to continuously protect our seafarers in dealing with fresh opportunities as the world faces a new normal."

Bello reported that the government's partnership with Seafarers' Rights International in 2018 resulted in the holding of a regional conference that produced the Manila Statement on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers in the Event of a Maritime Accident.

"We also crafted and set into force the Guidelines for the Establishment of the Philippine Green Lane to Facilitate the Speedy and Safe Travel of Seafarers, including their safe and swift disembarkation and crew change during the Covid-19 Pandemic," he said.

Another important development was the creation of the Interim Guidelines for the Facilitated Deployment and Repatriation of Filipino Seafarers during the National State of Emergency brought about by the pandemic.

A measure is being pushed in Congress to exempt Filipino seafarers from movement or travel restrictions, particularly when securing important travel and work documents.

"We fully recognize our seafarers as essential workers who play a vital role in the economy, which is why they are among the priority recipients in the government's national Covid vaccination rollout," Bello said.

Filipino seamen account for 25 percent of all seafarers in the world.