On the eve of the International Day of the Seafarers (IDS), MARINO Party-list has launched its MARINO Action Center (MAC) ONLINE, which will serve as the group’s online action platform for seafarers and the maritime industry.
This initiative is a brainchild of the Party-list’s first representative, Cong. Sandro Gonzalez, who saw the need for one as the country transitions to the new normal in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“Initially, we planned to build an action center at the heart of the seafaring industry in Kalaw, Manila so our group can address the needs of our constituents. But ever since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, we realized the need to shift our energy to adapting to the new normal,” Gonzalez explained.
“We will still have our physical office in Manila, but in the meantime we can’t physically be present on site due to physical distancing and other restrictions, we will utilize the MAC ONLINE to interact with our constituents and help them with regard to their needs and concerns,” Gonzalez added.
The MAC ONLINE, according to Gonzalez, will be an online community for seafarers, where the latter can express their issues and problems that relate to their work, including employment conditions and training. More than this, the online platform will be a bridge for MARINO Party-list’s programs to reach the seafarers post-pandemic.
Among the Party-list’s programs included in the online platform are government assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“In the event that our seafarers will need medical assistance for themselves, their relatives or family member who are confined in DOH-accredited hospitals, they can apply for the same through the MAC ONLINE. The same goes with assistance that DSWD gives, as well as training scholarship from TESDA,” the solon said.
MAC ONLINE will similarly have a team of lawyers to give legal advice as well as explain legal-related concerns of seafarers, and endorse the same to the proper government agencies for appropriate action
