Philippines: Shipowners praise the withdrawal of crucial bill concerning seafarers

Local shipowners and operators praised the House of Representatives for recalling the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers and appreciated President Marcos for not signing the bill. The Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association Inc. (PCSA) supported further congressional review instead of the bill being signed into law. The House of Representatives passed a resolution recalling the bill, which was supposed to be signed into law on Feb. 26.

PCSA expressed concerns about the reckless application of the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) and the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Convention (STCW) to the domestic shipping industry. They argued that implementing these standards would be injurious and could lead to bankruptcy for the domestic shipping industry. The group also opposed applying strict STCW requirements to local seafarers.

The Philippines is the top supplier of seafarers globally, with an estimated 700,000 deployed on domestic or foreign-flagged vessels. The group emphasized the need for a balanced Magna Carta to protect Filipino seafarers while supporting a strong domestic shipping industry. The country’s sea-based cash remittances grew by 2 percent to $6.9 billion last year, highlighting the importance of the maritime industry to the Philippine economy.

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