The signing of the Magna Carta of Seafarers will further improve the country’s compliance with the Standards for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention, benefiting Filipino seafarers.

“This will seamlessly align with the Standards for Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping or STCW, as well as the accepted global maritime labor laws,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said during the ceremonial signing of the Magna Carta in Malacañang on Monday.

“By creating a more robust certification process, we ensure that our seafarers are not just compliant but exceptional and equipped to meet the demands of an evolving maritime industry,” he said.

Clear protocols for grievances and disputes are also enforced to help resolve the issues and concerns of overseas Filipino seafarers, he said.

Through the enactment of the Magna Carta, improved compliance with the STCW Convention’s requirements will focus on monitoring, supervision, and evaluation of training and assessment; examination and assessment of competence; and program, course design and approval.

It will also address the availability and use of training facilities and simulators; onboard/shipboard training; and the issuance, revalidation, and registration of certifications and endorsements.

During the 108th Session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last May, the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee confirmed that the Philippines has fully complied with the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention, resulting in the continued inclusion of the Philippines in the IMO White List.

The Magna Carta of Seafarers aims to uphold the fundamental rights of Filipino overseas seafarers: their right to fair wages, safe working conditions, and skills and competency development. |PND