Migrant groups, Makabayan bloc push for Magna Carta for Seafarers
Migrant groups, Makabayan bloc push for Magna Carta for Seafarers
By Ysh Cabana
The Philippine Reporter
“During the quarantine, it was really a struggle to obtain relief for our boarding house.” Charito Bongaho,y a seafarer for ten years said in an online forum.
As one of more than 400,000 stranded seafarers this year amid the pandemic, he says it’s appalling how the Philippine government had responded to their pleas for assistance.
“They asked for numerous requirements and it really takes a very long time before applications get granted.” With his income cut off and limited savings steadily eroding, he cannot afford to buy food or other essentials, or pay the bills his family is expecting him to cover through his remittances. His family has roof over their head, for now, but he is on the brink of hunger himself just not to let his household starve.
Bongahoy shared his experience in an online forum jointly organized by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Mission To Seafarers (MTS), German Seamen’s Mission, the International Seafarers’ Action Center (ISAC), and Migrante International on Saturday June 21.
The webinar entitled “Tribute to Seafarers: Where do we go from here?” is a prelude to the International Day of Seafarers which falls on June 25 every year. Filipino seafarers are known in the world for outstanding qualities and contributions to the global maritime industry. But the chaos and caprice of COVID-19 has exposed their experience of getting underpaid and overworked, with less social protections that puts them at risk.
Lloyd Chris Bacasmot, another displaced seafarer remarked, “I haven’t been back to the ship for three months now, and I have not heard anything from our company. How can I sustain myself for another day without money? I only have 50 pesos in my pocket right now. What will I give to my family?”
Joanna Concepcion of Migrante International, a community and advocacy group for the Filipino diaspora, deplored that the global health crisis is being used by employers, agencies or brokers to violate the labour rights of our migrant workers.
“Thousands of qualified overseas Filipinos who applied for the Philippine government’s one time financial assistance for OFWs displaced by the covid pandemic have not received financial support given the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, our land based and seabased migrant workers are fearful of how they and their families will survive,” said Concepcion.
Citing figures prior to the pandemic, Edwin dela Cruz of the ISAC said there were already up to 1.5 million seafarers worldwide. Among them are 700,000 Filipino seafarers but only 420,000 are hired at any given time.
Various issues faced by seafarers include the high cost of commercialized education, contractualization and the absence of security of tenure. Dela Cruz pointed out that although the 2006 Maritime Labour Convention already contains laudable provisions, it needs enactment of a pertinent legislation in order for it to be enforced locally.
“The very good provisions of the Maritime Labour Convention should be implemented through the Magna Carta of Seafarers,” said dela Cruz.
Under the proposed measure shipping companies are mandated to provide for compensation for illness and injury due to fatigue, stress, emotional trauma, due to sea voyage; to promote rights of cadets to decent wages and stop charges for on-the-job-trainees; to regularize seafarers after working cumulatively for one-year; to respect right to organize and the right to raise complaints from third party representatives; and to provide access to shore leave.
The Makabayan bloc in Philippine Congress formalized its call for Magna Carta for Seafarers by filing on March 11 the House Bill 6588.
“We have high expectations that the Magna Carta for Seafarers will be approved. Nevertheless, without political will from the Philippine government to enforce it, it will be spineless so it is really important that seafarers organize themselves,” said the six-member bloc in a statement.
Family members of Filipino seafarers who spoke in the program likewise gave their all-out support for the bill and expressed their gratefulness to all groups upholding the rights and welfare of seafarers. Mission to Seafarers (MTS), a Christian welfare network, gave a salute to the ‘Front liners of the Sea’ for their hard work in maintaining the world’s supply chain.
MTS has been mobilizing its volunteers and staff to provide food relief, free transportation and counselling services to seafarers and their families.
“We have always been helping our seafarers,” said Fr. Jun Mark Yañez of the German Seamen’s Mission “but we would like to see more of these initiatives from the government.”
Comments (0)