MANILA CITY — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has laid out assistance to seafarers adversely affected by recent attacks at sea, Administrator Sonia Malaluan stated during a media briefing on 04 July 2024.

“I have directed our STCW Office and regional offices to reissue all documents without any requirements or fees. This will ensure that once seafarers recover from the trauma and are ready to return to sea, they have the necessary credentials,” Malaluan said.

In addition, the Administrator revealed that MARINA will appeal to the international community in urging shipping lines to avoid passing through conflict zones such as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, following several attacks by Houthi rebels.

“Hindi pwedeng tapatan ang buhay ng tao. It might be costly to pass through another route, it may take an additional 22 days to go around, but still, we are ensuring that we are not putting the lives of seafarers at risk,” she emphasized.

MARINA also expressed support for the implementation of a policy by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) which grants Filipino seafarers the option to avoid boarding ships that are passing by high-risk areas or warzones.

Since last year, at least four ships with Filipino crew onboard have already been attacked, with at least two Filipino seafarers killed, 17 held hostage, and one still missing.

The Philippines is the world’s top producer of seafarers, with around 570,000 Filipino seafarers deployed worldwide.