EU-funded ‘Ship to Shore’ Program boosts decent work abroad for Filipino fishers
The Philippines has launched a new phase of the Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia program to strengthen protection for Filipino fishers working abroad—an initiative aimed to improve working conditions, curb exploitative recruitment practices, and ensure safer, more ethical migration in the country’s blue economy.
Backed by the European Union and led by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the program was officially relaunched through the first Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting held on June 4 at the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in Manila. The meeting brought together government agencies, workers’ and employers’ groups, civil society organizations, and international partners to finalize a national work plan that will guide activities from 2025 to 2028.
“This program is a timely and strategic initiative that aligns with our national priorities to protect and empower our sea-based workers,” said DMW Assistant Secretary Jerome Pampolina in a statement delivered by Sea-Based Accreditation Bureau Director Augusto San Diego III.
Around 4,300 Filipino fishers are deployed each year to foreign fishing vessels, with many exposed to harsh working conditions, abusive employers, or exploitative recruiters. The Ship to Shore Rights program aims to change that by promoting ethical recruitment, access to legal aid, financial literacy, and reintegration support, while encouraging responsible business conduct among licensed manning agencies.
“The PAC will serve as a vital mechanism for ensuring that our work is grounded in the realities of those most affected—our migrant fishers and their communities,” said Khalid Hassan, ILO Country Director for the Philippines, of the program that is subtitled Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy.
“Through inclusive dialogue and evidence-based policymaking, we aim to create safer, fairer, and more sustainable conditions for all workers,” Hassan added in a media release.
The Philippines is also looking to advance the ratification of the ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention No. 188, a global treaty ensuring fishers have decent conditions on board vessels—from minimum age and working hours to medical care, food, and accommodation. The Convention also provides a mechanism for foreign port inspections to ensure compliance.
The national work plan features four main pillars:
- Regional cooperation on labor migration and inspection standards across ASEAN;
- Legal and policy reform, including pushing for Convention 188 ratification and stronger recruitment regulations;
- Responsible business conduct, through technical assistance to agencies and fair recruitment guidelines; and
- Worker empowerment, by boosting access to support services and collective bargaining.
The ILO is implementing the program in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Locally, it works closely with the Licensed Manning Agencies for Fishers (LMAF) to ensure ethical deployment practices.
For Filipino workers and manning agencies alike, the relaunch marks a strong step forward in making overseas employment in the fisheries sector safer, fairer, and more sustainable.
The next PAC meeting is scheduled for June 2026.
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