Beware of loopholes in the Philippines illness and injury laws

摘要

Shipowners should beware of certain loopholes in the Philippines legal system for addressing sickness and disability claims. There are more than 400,000 Filipino seafarers deployed overseas, representing roughly 40% of the world's mariners. It is inevitable that many cases of seafarer illness or injury result in claims being submitted for arbitration before the labour court of the Philippines, namely the National Labour Relations Commission (NLRC).