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ISWAN has partnered with the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) and the Maritime Authority Industry (MARINA) to launch a new information campaign for Filipino seafarers entitled ‘Karapatan; sama-samang ingatan’ (‘Together we protect our rights’).

The campaign aims to eradicate the rampant practice of unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of Filipino seafarers through ambulance chasing. The Republic Act No. 10706, or the Seafarers’ Protection Act, protects seafarers from ambulance chasing and defines it as the act of ‘soliciting, personally or through an agent, from seafarers, or their heirs, the pursuit of any claim against them employers for the purpose of recovery of monetary claim or benefit, including legal interest, arising from accident, illness or death, in exchange of an amount or fee.’

A research study conducted by NMP titled ‘Philippine Employment Laws Affecting Filipino Seafarers: Focus on the Philippine Arbitration System and Ambulance Chasing’ revealed that ambulance chasing in the Philippine maritime industry has surged, with seafarers being used as an intermediary for ambulance chasers to benefit from medical claims. Driven by these findings, ISWAN initiated its new campaign to protect Filipino seafarers.

Renato Pablo Jr., Regional Director of ISWAN Philippines, said:

‘We must all take every opportunity to stay well informed about every issue we have in the seafaring industry so we can maintain the positive progress of this industry.’

ISWAN’s campaign underscores the appropriate agencies and institutions where seafarers can seek appropriate help:

1. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA): poea.gov.ph
2. Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA): owwa.gov.ph
3. National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB): ncmb.gov.ph
4. National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC): nlrc.dole.gov.ph
5. Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA): marina.gov.ph

As part of the campaign, ISWAN will launch a series of round table discussions with participating government agencies and hold a webinar for seafarers that will focus on different pressing legal issues for the workforce. Information campaign materials such as video, posters, and social media content will also be disseminated to seafarers in the Philippines.