Senator Raffy Tulfo expressed elation over the overwhelming support he received from his colleagues for his call for the swift passage into law of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.
Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said he is happy to receive support both from the majority and minority bloc.
Among those who expressed their vocal support and delivered their co-sponsorship speech include Senate President Migz Zubiri, and Senators Bato dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Risa Hontiveros, Bong Go, Bong Revilla, Imee Marcos and Win Gatchalian.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Floor Leader Joel Villanueva and Senator Francis Tolentino also supported the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.
In his Sponsorship Speech, Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, said the Magna Carta is important to inform seafarers of their rights and duties, promote their continuous employment on board foreign owned vessels and empower government agencies to help them, among others.
“This Magna Carta is a message to our seafarers that we are behind you.”
“Our seafarers deserve our support and protection. This Magna Carta is a message to our seafarers that we are behind you; a guarantee to the international community that we will comply with the standards set by the relevant conventions; and a command to our government officials to hit the ground running in ensuring that we keep our obligations to these conventions,” the legislator said.
Notably, there was a continuous effort throughout the years to push this crucial legislation, but to no avail.
In the 18th Congress, the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers was left pending for Second Reading at the Senate while the bill’s counterpart measure has already hurdled third reading at the House of Representatives.
The lawmaker, who has been defending seafarers’ rights for decades already, filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 216 instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers as part of his 10 priority bills this 19th Congress.
Aside from him, 13 other senators filed versions of the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers this 19th Congress.
“25% of the world’s seafarers are Filipinos.”
Notably, 25% of the world’s seafarers are Filipinos, as 489,852 Filipino seafarers were deployed in 2022.
Seafarers also play a big role in the country’s economy. In 2019 alone, it was estimated that 519,031 deployed Filipino seafarers remitted $6.5 billion to the Philippines. This is practically 1.7% of the country’s GDP that year.
As such, Tulfo underscored the need for a Magna Carta to ensure retention of the Filipino seafarer in the global shipping industry because ships have been hiring more seamen from Vietnam, Myanmar, Africa, and China instead of Filipinos in the recent years.
He said measures must be formulated to address key manpower issues, through promotion of careers at sea, enhancement of maritime education and training worldwide, thus addressing the retention of seafarers.
