Beyond the Horizon: The Lives of Filipino Seafarers on Cargo Ships

The harsh reality of seafaring (Photo taken by Michael Wels/iStock)

August 16, 2025 — Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines

An Article by Allysa Jean Timbad

In a calm yet deadly oceans around the world, Filipino seafarers are keeping global trade in motion. They navigate vessels through typhoons, keep the engines running amidst the scorching heat coming from the sun, all to ensure that cargo reaches its destination— whether it’s grain for bread in Europe, skincare products in South Korea, or the parcels we order from Shopee and TikTok that arrive on our doorsteps. The Philippines is one of the world’s largest supplier of Maritime labor, with roughly 400,000 Filipino seafarers are being deployed worldwide, comprising about 25% of the overall seafarer labor force by the end of 2011 (Sekimizu, 2012).

Yet behind this vital role lies stories of resilience, sacrifice, and connection across world’s oceans. They have built bonds to different types of people while at sea, earned enough money to achieve the house they dreamt of having, but in exchange of being oceans apart from their loved ones. Aside from suffering in loneliness and homesickness, a 2025 article by Rappler featured a far more brutal truth of being a seafarers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mariners like Angel Brito and John Lyod Restauro shared that their labor rights have been violated and they have been abandoned by their shipowners—no electricity, supplies, unpaid, and stranded. The owners of the ships often avoid accountability for abandoning their crews by taking advantage of a practice known as “flags of convenience.”

According to International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the shipowners have the ability to register their vessel in a country different from their own, typically one with lenient regulations and weak labor laws. This gives them a legal and financial shield that allows them to abandon their ships and crews in times of crisis.

The Filipino seafarers have been acknowledge for their heroic deeds, keeping our economy from going astray. They have carried the world’s goods—grains, steel, electronics—across continents, yet their own stories rarely make it to the shore.

References:

Buan, L. (2025, February 14). More Filipino seafarers are being abandoned at sea. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/filipino-seafarers-abandonment-flags-of-convenience/

International Transport Workers’ Federation. (n.d.). Flags of convenience. https://www.itfglobal.org/en/sector/seafarers/flags-convenience

Sekimizu, K. (2012, February 8). Philippine Maritime Industry Stakeholders Lunch Forum. International Maritime Organization. https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/secretarygeneral/pages/philippine-maritime-.aspx