Gov’t programs considered to address mental health issues among seafarers

Gov’t programs considered to address mental health issues among seafarers
Martin Sadongdong Apr 25, 2025 https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/25/gov-t-programs-considered-to-address-mental-...

The national government is mulling the formulation of more intervention programs to help tackle the growing concerns over the widespread mental health issues among seafarers.

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Administrator Sonia Malaluan said that although the agency “has no direct hand” in dealing with such issues, it is collaborating with various organizations to help raise awareness on the importance of protecting the mental health of seafarers.

“Patuloy ang ating awareness campaign. May mga orientation, may mga groups na na-organize para po magkaroon sila ng community, may support mechanism ‘yung ating mga pamilya kasi alam natin maraming problema kapag magkakalayo (Our awareness campaign continues. We have orientations, there are organized groups so their families would have a community and a support mechanism because we know there are a lot of problems if family members are far away from each other),” she said in a press conference on Friday, April 25.

A recent study conducted by the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), a government training center for Filipino seafarers, showed that 189 Filipino seafarers were diagnosed with mental disorders from 2018 to 2022, with cases steadily increasing each year: 23 in 2018, 25 in 2019, 34 in 2020, 43 in 2021, and 64 in 2022.

The study further showed that anxiety disorders (46.03 percent) and depressive disorders (38.62 percent) were the most common, followed by schizophrenia (6.35 percent) and post-traumatic stress disorder (6.35 percent).

It stressed that suicide cases saw a concerning rise, from a single case in 2018 to nine cases in 2022, “marking seafaring as one of the professions with high suicide risks.”

Malaluan said that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have established a hotline where seafarers experiencing problems can call and they would be able to talk to psychologists for assistance.

“Iniisip namin na since nasa amin na ‘yung maritime education, we can also implement a process na habang nag-aaral pa lang ‘yung ating mga seafarers, ipapamulat na natin sa kanila ‘yung challenges at sea. Kasi minsan hindi gaanong aware ‘no (We are thinking that since we already handle maritime education, we can also implement a process where in while our seafarers are still studying, we can show them what challenges they may encounter at sea. Sometimes they are not really aware),” Malaluan noted.

One adjustment that the Marina chief cited is the shortened contract for seafarers to avoid prolonged separation from their families.

“Kung napapansin nyo, umiikli nang umiikli ‘yung kontrata. Hindi na ganoon kahaba unlike before one year and even longer. Ngayon bawal na ang mahabang kontrata (If you would notice, the contracts are getting shorter. It’s no longer a long-term contract unlike before that it takes one year and even longer),” Malaluan shared.

Citing the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) of 2006, Malaluan said that a typical contract of a seafarer lasts for 12 months and it cannot exceed the limit.

“Hanggang dito lang ‘yung kontrata mo. Hindi ka pwede lalampas dyan, kailangan bumaba na. So ‘yan ay para sa pamilya at para din sa mental health ng mga seafarers kasi hindi normal ang situation sa barko (This is what your contract only allows. You cannot exceed that, you need to step down. This is for their family and the mental health of seafarers because the situation onboard the ship is not normal),” she explained.

The Marina also coordinated with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to include a list of requirements in addressing mental health concerns for seafarers before they enter into a contract and board a ship.

Malaluan also signed a memorandum of agreement with the International Transport Federation in February for the conduct of orientation and mentorship for seafarers and their families to determine the underlying causes for the occurrence of mental health issues among seafarers.