APRUBADO na sa Senado sa third and final reading ang Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers bill, Setyembre 27, kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng National Maritime Week.

Ang panukala ay naaprubahan na may 14 na affirmative votes, walang abstention at walang negatibong boto.

Pinasalamatan ni Senador Raffy Tulfo, na principal sponsor at isa sa mga authors ng Senate Bill (SB) No. 2221, ang lahat ng sumuporta sa panukalang batas.

“I would like to thank my colleagues for their support for this measure, especially Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri who has been supportive of this bill from Day 1,” saad ni Tulfo.

“I am equally thankful to the seafarers and their union, including the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines. This bill is an early Christmas gift to all seafarers,” dagdag niya.

Pinasalamatan niyang muli si President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa pagsesertipika sa SB No. 2221 bilang urgent.

Nakasaad sa panukalang batas na: “the State shall endeavor to secure decent working and living conditions for seafarers, standardize the terms and conditions of their employment, regulate operations of manning agencies and incentivize maritime stakeholders, establish and enhance mechanisms for administrative, adjudicative, and social and welfare services for the seafarers and their families.”

Nauna nang ibinunyag ni Tulfo, Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, ang diumano’y hakbang ng ilang grupo para mahigpit na harangin ang pagpasa ng Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers bill sa Senado noong nakaraang Kongreso.

Noong 18th Congress, naiwan ang parehong panukalang batas na pending sa 2nd reading sa kabila ng suporta ng mga senador dito samantalang ang counterpart measure nito sa House ay umabot na sa 3rd reading.

Ngayong 19th Congress, ang ibang Senador na naghain din ng kanilang mga bersyon ng Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers ngayong 19th Congress ay sina Sens. Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, Bato dela Rosa, Jinggoy Estrada, Robinhood Padilla, Cynthia Villar , Sonny Angara, Grace Poe, Win Gatchalian, Bong Revilla, Bong Go, Mark Villar, and Loren Legarda.