The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) announced that seafarers with expired Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB), Seafarer’s Identity Document (SID), and Seafarers Record Book (SRB) will not be fined ₱10,000 for now.

“Effective today, 29 April 2026, the Marina administrator directed the deferment of the imposition of the ₱10,000 penalties on seafarers with expired SIRBs, SRBs and SIDs onboard vessels, pending a clarificatory advisory,” Marina spokesperson Luisito Delos Santos said.

He added that the collection of penalties has been temporarily halted, while renewals will continue to be processed as the agency reviews the policy.

“The ongoing review will also determine cases where penalties may have been unintentionally imposed. Any such payments shall be refunded accordingly. Further updates, including any amendments to the policy resulting from the review, will be announced in due course,” Delos Santos said.

Marina also said it has opened appointment slots for SRB and SID applications nationwide through December 2026 to ease demand and improve access for Filipino seafarers.

Data from the agency’s Manpower Development Service show that 320 daily slots each for SRB and SID, and 375 slots for combined transactions, are available across the Marina central, satellite and regional offices.

To accommodate more applicants, the central office has opened additional appointment slots every Saturday from March to June 2026.

Marina Administrator Sonia Malaluan acknowledged the challenges faced by seafarers, including long queues and waiting times, and assured improvements in services.

“We understand the urgency and the sacrifices of our seafarers who rely on these documents for their livelihood. Kaya ginagawa po natin ang lahat para mapabilis ang proseso at mabawasan ang abala sa kanila,” Malaluan said. “We assure our seafarers that Marina continues to improve our systems and expand our capacity to better serve them.”

The agency also warned the public against scalpers and unauthorized individuals offering paid assistance in securing appointment slots, reminding applicants to use only official channels or coordinate with licensed manning agencies.