Cong. Carlo “Sandro” Gonzalez of Marino Partylist Bats for Inclusion of Seafarers in Government’s Stimulus Program

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Cong. Carlo Sandro Gonzalez of Marino Partylist
Bats for Inclusion of Seafarers in Governments
Stimulus Program
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MANILA Marino Party-list representative Sandro
Gonzalez on Thursday prodded the Defeat COVID-19
Ad-Hoc Committee (DCC) to include not only
overseas Filipino seafarers but also domestic
sailors in the coverage of House Bill No. 6815 or
the Accelerated Recovery and Intervention
Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines Act
(ARISE Philippines).  The Marino solon, a
co-author of the bill, lauded the DCC for
embracing in the definition of Overseas Filipino
Workers (OFWs) sea-based Filipinos working in
maritime vessels abroad. As such, sea-based
workers who were displaced as a result of the
Covid-19 pandemic can now avail of unemployment
benefits from government. 
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I have been pushing to institutionalize social
amelioration and stimulus programs for seafarers
since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak,
Gonzalez said. In fact, I filed a resolution
last May 7, directing the House of
Representatives to conduct an inquiry on the
impact of the pandemic to the thousands Filipino
seafarers who lost their jobs, with the goal of
providing them financial assistance and
alternative employment. I have observed that
seafarers have been neglected for too long
despite contributing between 5 to 6 billion
annually to our countrys gross income. 
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However, Gonzalez lamented that while the ARISE
Philippines Act included overseas seafarers, it
glaringly left out local seafarers employed in
domestic shipping companies.  The impact of the
pandemic on our domestic seafarers is being
overlooked. Domestic shipping has been crippled
as many companies that are part of the supply
chain have shut down, Gonzalez said.  He added
that the disruptions from Covid-19 are on track
to continue for a long time, affecting the lives
of not only foreign-based seafarers but the
thousands of domestic seafarers as well.
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Noting the importance of broadening the coverage
of HB 6815, the DCC during its online hearing
acquiesced to Gonzalezs manifestation to include
domestic seafarers in the benefits of the
stimulus program, particularly the provision of
wage amelioration to unemployed seafarers under
Section 7(b) of the bill.  I am grateful to the
DCC for incorporating my suggested amendments to
HB 6815. It is important for my constituency, the
Filipino seafarers and their families, to be
included in social amelioration and stimulus
programs so that the governments hallmark of
inclusivity is realized, Gonzalez said.  I
call on my colleagues to immediately pass the
bill in order to complement the recent direction
of our government to open our economy, Gonzalez
said. The stimulus package includes the conduct
of Covid-19 mass testing nationwide, as well as
programs to save jobs and provide assistance to
critically impacted businesses.