GLOBAL labor officials and European diplomats urged Philippine authorities to tighten enforcement of maritime protections, warning that statutory guarantees are failing to stop the widespread mistreatment, wage theft, and sea abandonment of Filipino mariners.
The calls to action were delivered during a forum and multi-stakeholder workshop organized by the European Union–Association of Southeast Asian Nations Sustainable Connectivity Package (EU-Asean Scope) Seafarers initiative. Titled “Enhancing MLC Implementation: Bridging Standards and Practice,” the event marked the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006.
Addressing government officials, regulators, and private-sector leaders, Dr. Khalid Hassan of the International Labour Organization (ILO) emphasized that legal ratifications and formal compliance certificates are meaningless without rigorous onboard enforcement.
“The final result is the seafarers whose rights are respected on board,” Hassan said, stressing that statutory commitments must deliver tangible protections at sea.
Reinforcing the urgency, Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to the Philippines, called for a unified cross-sector effort to place maritime workers at the center of national labor reforms, noting that roughly one-quarter of the world’s seafaring workforce originates from the Philippines and Indonesia.
“We need to have the Filipino seafarers at the heart of what we are doing together,” Gemmer said, highlighting the implementation of Republic Act 12021, known as the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers, enacted in 2024. “If it works for all of you, it will work for the Filipino seafarers.”
Gemmer directly linked legal compliance to higher incomes and improved living standards for seafarers and their families, whose remittances remain a key economic engine for the Philippines.
The workshop builds on momentum from 2023, when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed to establish clear accreditation pathways for Filipino seafarers seeking employment aboard EU-flagged vessels. To support these reforms, a dedicated EU-Philippines seafarers project led by Andreas Nostad is coordinating technical assistance, rights awareness, and regulatory alignment.
However, Gemmer warned that success hinges on tight coordination among key Philippine agencies — including the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) — describing the reform effort as a “master plan” that requires sustained private-sector backing.
Adopted two decades ago, the MLC modernized global maritime standards across 113 ratifying nations representing over 96 percent of the world fleet. Forum delegates recognized foundational contributions to the framework by labor pioneers, notably the late captain Gregorio S. Oca, founder of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup), who advocated for seafarers’ rights during UN and ILO negotiations.
Despite global benchmarks, maritime workers continue to face chronic fatigue, illegal recruitment practices, denial of shore leave, and safety risks from Middle East geopolitical instability. Both the ILO and EU maintained that rigorous field inspection and agency alignment will be the ultimate test of whether domestic law successfully translates into daily protection at sea.