Pinoy Seafarer’s Rights

By Dennis Gorecho   A seafarer with a heart illness is considered a “walking time bomb ready to explode towards the end of his employment days.” Thus declared the Supreme Court in the case of Leoncio vs. MST Marine Services Phils. (GR. No. 230357, December 6, 2017) involving a seafarer who was medically repatriated due …

By Dennis Gorecho The parameters for the third doctor consultation under the newly signed Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers will lessen the chance of claimants to receive favorable decisions in compensation cases. The provision on Determination of Disability Grading or Fitness to Work (Section 57) indicated that “the third doctor’s assessment shall strictly adhere to …

By Dennis Gorecho Some 352,479 kilograms of trash and debris, ranging from plastics to other waste materials, were collected in 250 coastal sites across the country during the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) on September 21, 2024. ICC is the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean’s health and is being conducted every third Saturday of September of each year to raise …

By Dennis Gorecho The job of a seafarer is not exactly a walk in the park (Oriental Ship Mgt. vs. Bastol, G.R. No. 186289 June 29, 2010). A seafarer is mentally, physically and emotionally stressed sailing non-stop for weeks or months aside from exposure to fluctuating extreme temperatures as the ships cross ocean boundaries. Thirty-six (36) Filipino seafarers …

By Dennis Gorecho Government positions should not serve as a means for personal gain or privilege. This was the reminder from Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antipolo in his homily during the September 22, 2024 Mass at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Manila as part of the opening ceremonies of the 29th National Seafarers’ …

By Dennis Gorecho The Magna Carta for Filipino seafarers failed to consider recommendation of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on the exclusion of labor dispute resolution provisions, particularly involving the execution bond. “It’s anti-worker, impractical and inconsistent with the protection to labor clause,” thus said Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma …

By Dennis Gorecho The Philippines will be celebrating the 29th National Seafarers’ Day (NSD) and the 25th National Maritime Week (NMW) this year on September 29, 2024 with the theme “Marinong Filipino: Ligtas na Paglalayag!” President Fidel V. Ramos issued Proclamation No. 828 series of 1996 declaring August 18 as NSD. It was later moved to …

By Dennis Gorecho “Itaas mo ang iyong tinig sa panunumpa! Dahil ang pagpupugay sa bandila ay pagmamahal sa bansa.” Thus declared Kapuso actor and Major Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes as he read the “Pagpupugay sa Busilak na Bandila” during the “Stop and Salute Flag-Raising Ceremony” on September 2, 2024 in honor of Filipino seafarers and …

  By Dennis Gorecho Entitlement to disability benefits by seafarers is a matter governed not only by medical findings but also by law and by contract (OSG ShipMgt vs. De Jesus, GR 207344, November 18, 2020). By contract, the seafarers and their employers are governed not only by their mutual agreements but also by the provisions of the Standard Employment …

By Dennis Gorecho A special flag-raising ceremony was held on June 25, 2024 at the Rizal Monument in Luneta in celebration of the Day of the Seafarers in honor of all the hardworking Filipino mariners. The 2010 Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) held in Manila adopted a resolution establishing the Day of the …