Authorities have identified enforcement of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) through the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers as a key challenge in protecting the rights of seamen from the Philippines as provided under the international agreement on global minimum standards for merchant mariners’ working and living conditions onboard vessels.

Officials from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Maritime Industry Authority and the Philippine Coast Guard cited some of the reasons behind the challenge during a panel discussion at the EU-SCOPE Forum on MLC implementation on Wednesday.

DMW Assistant Secretary Augusto San Diego III said harmonizing the interpretation and implementation of the MLC and the Magna Carta remains a major concern, particularly as Filipino seafarers work across different jurisdictions.

“The problem with enforcement is the manning agencies are here. However, our overseas Filipino workers are flying internationally and that they are carrying different flags in which it’s quite difficult for us if there are problems because we really need the cooperation of the ship owner, the ship manager, the charters, so that we can address the requirements for need of our Filipino seafarers,” San Diego said.

DoLE Bureau of Working Conditions director Atty. Alvin Curada echoed San Diego’s concern, saying that unlike land-based workplaces that remain within the reach of labor inspectors, vessels can be thousands of miles away when violations occur.

“Obviously, we cannot deploy our labor inspectors to inspect vessels in Singapore or in Rotterdam for that matter. Hence, we have recognized organizations to do that for us,” Curada said.

Enforcement is complicated by limited government resources, he added.

We have around 1,210 labor inspectors,” Curada said.

The DoLE director also pointed to the difficulty of determining whether documents showing compliance with labor standards accurately reflect the actual conditions aboard vessels.