Supreme Court grants seaman P5 million disability benefits

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered a ship management company to pay $90,000 or around P5 million in disability benefits to a Filipino seafarer who suffered an injury while playing basketball.

The SC’s Third Division granted the petition of Rosell Arguilles, who sought to reverse the Court of Appeals decision that denied his labor case against Wilhelmsen Smith Bell Manning, Inc. (Wilhelmsen Manning).

Arguilles, an employee of Wilhelmsen Manning, sustained a “high-grade partial tear” in his left ankle while playing basketball on the company’s vessel in December 2016. He was declared unfit for duty in 2017.

In ruling in favor of Arguilles, the SC cited the provisions under the 2010 Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Standard Employment Contract (POEA SEC).

According to the SC, the POEA SEC defines a work-related injury as an “injury arising out of and in the course of employment,” which does not require that a seafarer suffer an injury while performing his duties.

The SC also upheld that Arguilles’ injury is worthy of compensation as there is no evidence indicating that the injury suffered was intentionally or negligently incurred.