Council formed to help seafarers
THE Maritime Industry Tripartite Council (MITC) was established on Friday to promote the welfare of Filipino seafarers and raise maritime labor industry standards.
“The MITC will be the Filipino seafarers’ ally as the government works hand-in-hand with the management and labor sectors to strengthen our seafarers’ expertise in the ever-changing global landscape of the maritime sector,” Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. PHOTOS BY J. GERARD SEGUIA
Bautista added that, in cooperation with the government, the labor sector and relevant stakeholders, the MITC aims to resolve maritime labor issues and promote worker-management cooperation.
Among government agencies represented in the MITC were the Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Transportation, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Labor and Employment, Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Pag-IBIG Fund, Commission on Higher Education, National Telecommunications Commission, and Department of Information and Communications Technology.
The Philippines is the world’s leading supplier of seafarers, with over 600,000 Filipinos working in the maritime industry.
In 2022, over 400,000 Filipino seafarers were deployed to various countries worldwide.