Lawmaker says DMW can work with Supreme Court, CHED on seafarer issues
MANILA, Philippines — With issues yet to be addressed in the country’s seafarer industry, Rep. Alfred Delos Santos (Ang Probinsyano Party-list) said the Supreme Court and the Commission on Higher Education can help with refining the needs of the industry.
The SC, the highest court in the land, may weigh in on issues hounding the seafarer industry, including “ambulance chasing,” which is when predatory lawyers urge seafarers to seek large settlements from their employers even with minor injuries, Delos Santos said.
This was after the European Commission said it will continue recognizing the seafarer’s certificates issued by the Philippines, specifically for its masters and officers. The European Union wanted to withdraw its recognition due to the country’s deficiencies, specifically on its program for seafarers’ education and skills training.
On top of this, employers and other international stakeholders also pointed out that the “single biggest issue” that is now plaguing the Filipino seafarer industry is “ambulance chasing."
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Delos Santos said the Department of Migrant Workers can work with the SC by elevating the issues to them.
“I believe some aspects of the ambulance-chasing issue should be raised with the [SC] because the esteemed Justices and its offices responsible for the practice of law may have insights on how [those can be addressed],” Delos Santos said in a statement on Sunday.
The SC acts on petitions filed before them, this includes questions on constitutionality.
“While the Department of Migrant Workers and the Supreme Court work out the details, the Commission on Higher Education and the maritime schools should work on a parallel track on another persistently recurring set of issues over the decades: the education and training components of the global standards for seafarers.”
CHED last week already said it is ready to collaborate with other agencies to improve its programs for seafarers in order to meet international standards.
READ: CHED to work with MARINA, maritime schools to raise training standards
The Philippines has been the top source of seafarers globally, with around 380,000 Filipinos onboard international vessels. Employers and stakeholders clarified that they have no problem with Filipino seafarer competency, however, they also did flag the inconsistencies in the quality of seafarers produced by maritime schools back home. — Kaycee Valmonte
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