PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is resolute in its commitment to uphold the welfare of Filipino seafarers.
”Two years ago, on Sept. 23, 2024, I signed Republic Act 12021, or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, into law, a landmark measure for our maritime workforce,” Marcos said in his keynote address during the Philippine Maritime Convention 2026 in Manila on Wednesday.
The law was created to protect the rights, welfare and working conditions of both local and overseas Filipino mariners.
”As we commemorate its second anniversary, we renew our commitment to uphold the rights, the welfare, the safety and the dignity of our seafarers,” he added.
The Philippines, Marcos said, remains the world’s primary provider of maritime manpower, supplying nearly 20 percent of all deployed seafarers globally.
Marcos acknowledged the increasing security risks across international waters, evident in the reported death of four Filipino seafarers and one missing in an attack at the Strait of Hormuz.
The president said that state protections must continually adapt to protect seafarers from risks, including geopolitical hazards.
”Our seafarers have found themselves caught in armed conflicts, geopolitical tensions, attacks and other security incidents they did not create and in which they had no part,” Marcos said.
In response to such heightened dangers, he noted the enhanced emergency protocols implemented by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to protect Filipino seafarers in high-risk areas.
Marcos added that the government has aligned local education and assessment systems with the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention while issuing the 2026 DMW Sea-Based Rules and updating Standard Employment Contracts for Overseas Filipino Seafarers.
He highlighted structural support systems established for returning mariners, including the operations of a dedicated Seafarers’ Welfare Center providing medical, legal and training assistance, as well as the Full-Cycle National Reintegration Program.
Marcos urged shipowners, training institutions and global trade partners to maintain a unified approach in safeguarding the nation’s sea-based workforce.
”They have spent generations connecting the Philippines to the world. We owe it to them to build a system worthy of their sacrifice, their trust and their dreams,” Marcos said.
