President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has certified the Magna Carta for Seafarers bill in Congress as urgent.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva shared a copy of the letter from Malacanang, addressed to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and dated September 25, to reporters on Monday.
Senate Bill 2221 or the Act Providing for the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers is pending on second reading, while its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives was passed on third and final reading last March.
The certification was made “to address recurring deficiencies in our domestic laws pertaining to the training and accreditation of thousands of Filipino seafarers which endanger their employment in the European market in particular, and the global maritime arena in general.”
The bill “guarantees to the international community that the Philippines will comply with its obligations of ensuring that our training, facilities, and equipment are at par with international standards and those set by relevant conventions,” Mr. Marcos added.