Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Manning Agency License Philippines: DMW Requirements and How to Apply
A manning agency license in the Philippines is issued by the DMW Secretary to recruit and place seafarers. Here is what the law requires and how the process works.
Seafarer Employment Contract in the Philippines: Key Terms and Rules
What terms must a seafarer employment contract in the Philippines contain? Learn the DMW rules on Department-approved contracts, manning agencies, and more.
Manning Agreement Philippines: How Licensed Manning Agencies Work
A manning agreement in the Philippines is the arrangement between a licensed manning agency and a foreign principal for recruiting and placing Filipino seafarers.
Maritime Labor Standards in the Philippines: How Seafarers Are Trained, Certified and Protected
Maritime labor standards in the Philippines cover STCW training, MARINA certification, medical fitness and manning agency rules that protect Filipino seafarers.
Seafarer Employment Contract in the Philippines: What the DMW Rules Require
A seafarer employment contract in the Philippines is a DMW-approved written agreement. Learn what it must contain and who may process it.
Seafarer Disability Benefits in the Philippines: What Filipino Crew Members Should Know
A plain-language guide to seafarer disability benefits in the Philippines, covering who is a seafarer, the agencies involved, and how claims work.
When an Interim Medical Assessment Is Not Enough: Seafarer Wins Full Disability Benefits
A company doctor's interim disability rating cannot cut off a seafarer's treatment or benefits. The Supreme Court explains why.
Seafarer Disability Benefits: When a Late or Vague Medical Assessment Means Automatic Total Disability
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when a company-designated physician's incomplete or late medical assessment entitles a seafarer to permanent total disability benefits.
Attorney's Fees in Seafarer Disability Claims: New Supreme Court Guidelines
The Supreme Court clarifies when attorney's fees may be awarded in seafarer disability cases, rejecting automatic grants and setting stricter standards.
Seafarer Disability Claims Understanding Valid Medical Assessments AND Your Rights
The Supreme Court clarifies what makes a company-designated physician's medical assessment valid in seafarer disability claims, protecting seafarer rights.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Medical Assessment and Timelines Matter
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when seafarers may claim total permanent disability benefits and why medical assessment timelines are critical.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Work-Related Illness and Employer Liability in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies the disputable presumption of work-relatedness for seafarer death benefits under the POEA-SEC, shifting the burden of proof to employers.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Medical Abandonment and Its Consequences in the Philippines
When a seafarer fails to complete required medical treatment and re-evaluation, the right to disability benefits may be forfeited. The Supreme Court explains.
When Is a Seafarer's Injury Work-Related? The Arguilles Case Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies when an off-duty injury on board a vessel is compensable, applying the bunkhouse rule and POEA-SEC standards.
Seafarer Wins Attorney's Fees After Being Compelled to Litigate Disability Claim
Supreme Court reinstates attorney's fees for seafarer with Meniere's Disease, ruling he was compelled to litigate to recover disability benefits.
Seafarer Disability Claims: When Can a Seaman Recover Attorney's Fees
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer can recover attorney's fees in disability claims, even without employer bad faith.
Seafarers Disability Benefits: Why Timely Medical Assessments Matter
The Supreme Court clarifies that a company-designated physician's failure to issue a final disability assessment within 120/240 days makes a seafarer's disability total and permanent.
The Indefinite Assessment Seafarers Right To Disability Benefits Under Philippine LAW
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies seafarers' disability benefits when company doctors fail to issue timely final assessments.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Prescription Periods and Proving Work-Related Death
Learn the strict rules on prescription and compensability in seafarer death benefit claims, based on a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Proving the Work-Related Connection for Compensation
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that seafarers must prove their illness is work-related by substantial evidence, not merely allege it.
When a Company Doctor's Silence Ends a Seafarer's Claim: The Lingering Duty to Assess
A company-designated physician's failure to issue a final disability assessment within 240 days makes a seafarer's disability total and permanent by operation of law.
Seafarers Disability Accident CBA Benefits and Employer Obligations in Maritime Employment
When a CBA governs seafarer disability, its better benefits prevail over the POEA-SEC, and employers must timely issue final medical assessments.
Abandonment of Medical Treatment Impact on Seafarer Disability Claims
How a company doctor's failure to issue a timely disability assessment affects a seafarer's claim for total and permanent disability benefits.
Logbook Entries Alone Insufficient to Prove Illegal Dismissal of Seafarer
Supreme Court rules a vessel logbook entry alone cannot prove a seafarer's incompetence; employers must show substantial evidence for valid dismissal.