DOLE Champions Seafarers: New Rights, Welfare Office

DOLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino 

DOLE Champions Seafarers: New Rights, Welfare Office

By Jerome Aning – TheNATIONWEEK.com | September 8, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Tuesday the creation of the Maritime Labor Affairs Office (MLAO), a dedicated body under the Office of the Secretary that will consolidate legal assistance, conciliation, dispute settlement, workers’ education, and employment services for Filipino seafarers.

The MLAO was established through Administrative Order (AO) No. 283, series of 2026, which was signed last Aug. 24 by DOLE Secretary Francis N. Tolentino. The AO consolidates critical functions previously dispersed across various DOLE agencies, creating a unified front for seafarer advocacy. The new office is a direct embodiment of constitutional mandates and the spirit of Republic Act No. 12021, the 2024 Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers, which enshrines the state’s duty to safeguard seafarers’ rights, promote full employment, and ensure equal opportunities.

The MLAO integrates the expertise of the National Labor Relations Commission, National Conciliation and Mediation Board, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Bureau of Working Conditions, Bureau of Labor Relations, Bureau of Local Employment, Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, and the Legal Service. This convergence brings under one framework essential services: free legal assistance, conciliation support, upskilling initiatives, livelihood programs, and robust case disposition mechanisms.

A primary directive of the MLAO is to guarantee the fair, swift, equitable, and just resolution and execution of decisions, particularly those granting monetary awards for salaries, wages, statutory benefits, and crucial death and disability claims. It will be the central coordinator for conciliation, mediation, and arbitration of employment disputes through the Single Entry Approach (SEnA), streamlining an often-cumbersome process.

Crucially, the MLAO ensures access to justice, facilitating legal assistance for seafarers unable to afford counsel. Endorsements will be made to the Labor Attorney’s Office or, for matters outside its direct purview, to the Public Attorney’s Office, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines legal aid program, or accredited law school legal aid clinics. No seafarer, regardless of financial standing, will face injustice without representation.

Beyond dispute resolution, DOLE’s proactive approach through the MLAO extends to strengthening comprehensive pre-employment, employment, and post-employment support. This includes strategic partnerships with maritime educational institutions and industry stakeholders to enhance skills and foster career development. Employment referrals will be amplified via the PhilJobNet portal, Public Employment Service Offices, and dedicated job fairs. Moreover, the MLAO will facilitate access to vital livelihood and self-employment programs, including the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program, specifically targeting displaced, repatriated, retiring, or injured seafarers and their families.

The initiative signifies a profound re-commitment by the Department to the country’s seafaring workforce. The MLAO is poised to ensure that Filipino seafarers, who are vital to the national economy, receive truly accessible, coordinated, and responsive government support throughout every stage of their demanding careers.

The creation of the MLAO also directly aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive for more responsive labor assistance, centralizing a fragmented system and promising unprecedented support from pre-employment to post-service.

According to the Philippine Maritime Workforce Factbook published by the National Maritime Polytechnic, an agency of the Department of Migrant Workers, the country deployed 589,179 seafarers in 2025.

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