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 …
Pinoy Seafarer’s Rights
Stella Maris Philippines: Seafarers must guard their votes
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’ …
DOLE: Exclude execution bond in Magna Carta for Filipino 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 …
29th National Seafarers’ Day and 25th National Maritime Week
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 …
Honoring Filipino seafarers, reservists and the Philippine Flag
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 …
Third doctor assessment in seafarers’ claims
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 …
Raise the flag for Filipino seafarers!
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 …
Boat as a metaphor for our maritime culture
By Dennis Gorecho “The story of our nation began with a boat.” This was the opening statement of historian Xiao Chua — lifted from an essay titled “The Boat as a Metaphor of Nation” on our ancestors’ maritime culture — during a symposium at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS) last year as part of …
Noise and seafarer’s hearing loss
By Dennis Gorecho Hearing loss is a serious medical condition for a seafarer as it impacts his physical and economic well-being. A seafarer’s hearing loss may be caused or aggravated by his working environment, like noise entitling him to disability benefits. In the case of OSM Maritime Services vs. Nelson Go (GR 238128, February 17, 2021), the medically repatriated seafarer was diagnosed with …