The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the European Union (EU) have called on the Philippine government, regulators and the private sector to fully enforce laws that would enhance the protection and welfare of Filipino seafarers.
Officials of both bodies spoke during a forum and multi-stakeholder workshop organised by the European Union–Association of Southeast Asian Nations Sustainable Connectivity Package (EU-ASEAN Scope) Seafarers initiative.
They urged Manila and officials in the private sector to come together and comply with the labour laws that aim to protect the country’s seafarers against mistreatment, wage theft and sea abandonment.
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ILO official emphasises need to protect PH seafarers
In a statement, Dr. Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, said that the country’s maritime officials should strictly enforce the regulations, which include statutory commitments, legal ratifications and formal compliance certificates onboard ships to protect its seafarers.
Seafarers contribute about four per cent to the Philippines’ gross domestic product.
Hassan added that Filipino seafarers onboard international vessels would benefit from the government’s full implementation of labour regulations.
For his part, Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of Co-operation at the EU Delegation to the Philippines, demanded the effort from various sectors and maritime industry stakeholders to place seafarers as the focal point of national labour reforms.
Gemmer noted that about 25 per cent of the world seafaring workforce comes from the Philippines and Indonesia.
He also placed an emphasis on the implementation of Republic Act 12021, or the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers, saying that Filipino seafarers should be at the heart of every effort by the maritime sector to protect them.
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Legal compliance with labour laws to benefit seafarers’ living standards
The EU official also connected legal compliance to higher incomes and improved living standards for seafarers and their families.
However, he emphasised that tight co-ordination among relevant Philippine agencies – the Maritime Industry Authority, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Migrant Workers – and the support of the private sector remain important factors to protect the ranked officers onboard ships.
The forum and stakeholder workshop was held to mark the 20th anniversary of the Maritime Labour Convention 2026.
Adopted two decades ago, the MLC modernised global maritime standards across 113 ratifying nations representing over 96 per cent of the world fleet.
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