Senator Joel Villanueva on Saturday reiterated his call to give protection to the country’s seafarers by passing the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.
In line with the celebration of the National Seafarers’ Day on Sept. 24, Villanueva underscored the importance of enacting a measure that will not only recognize the rights of seafarers but also institute mechanisms to protect their rights, provide them compulsory benefits, and enforce standards set by international laws.
Villanueva co-authored Senate Bill No. 314 or An Act Instituting the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers introduced by Senator Sonny Angara. The proposal is set to be discussed in an upcoming Sept. 27 hearing of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development chaired by Villanueva.
The said measure aims to fill in the gaps in legislation, particularly the Overseas Filipinos and Migrant Workers’ Act of 1996 (RA 8042), which neither completely address concerns of the Filipino seafarers nor abide by the existing standards set by the International Labor Organization and the International Maritime Organization.