BBM's SONA overlooked Filipino seafarers – ALMA

FILIPINO seafarers and the challenges hounding their profession «was barely» in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last July 22.

This was the observation made by the Association of Licensed Manning Agencies (ALMA) Maritime Group in a message to its members two days after the SONA.

ALMA stated that the Magna Carta of Seafarers was notably absent from the President's speech.

«Unfortunately, there was no mention of any significant developments related to overseas seafaring during the address. As far as we know, the Magna Carta of Seafarers has neither been signed into law by the President nor has lapsed into law or been vetoed,» the group said in a statement.

Alma Maritime Group has been strongly advocating for a multi-pronged strategy to combat ambulance chasing through the Magna Carta of Seafarers, particularly Section 59, which requires a seafarer, in cases of monetary claims, to post a bond if the manning agency appealed to a higher court of a decision by the National Conciliation and Mediation Board or the National Labor Relations Commission.

Section 59 replaced an equally controversial escrow provision which allows manning agencies and their principals to recover the money they awarded to seafarers, once a higher court reversed the earlier ruling in favor of the latter.

Section 59, however, was removed from the Magna Carta.

ALMA promptly expressed its disappointment through a letter addressed to the President, the Senate president and the speaker of the House.

«This letter encapsulates our comprehensive arguments and stance on the matter. We received acknowledgments from the Office of Facilitation Assistance in Malacañang and the Secretary of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office,» the group said.

The day after the second bicameral session, ALMA also held an urgent meeting with the then-newly installed chairman of the House Committee on Migrant Workers' Affairs, Rep. Jude Acidre of Tingog Partylist, expressing its concerns on the removal of Section 59.

It also met with representatives from the International Maritime Employers' Council, Department of Transportation, Maritime Industry Authority, Acidre and