Stranded in Panama for 3 months, Cagayan seafarer finally recovers ₱318K in unpaid wages, airfare

GATTARAN, Cagayan — A Filipino seafarer from Gattaran, Cagayan recovered ₱318,600.25 in unpaid wages and airfare reimbursement through the government’s Single Entry Approach (SEnA) settlement process after reportedly being stranded in Panama for three months without receiving his salary.

The settlement was facilitated through SEnA, a labor dispute-resolution mechanism administered by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that provides workers and employers with a fast, accessible, and inexpensive means of settling employment-related disputes before they escalate into formal labor cases.

According to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Region II, the seafarer said he and two other Filipino crew members were left in Panama after allegedly going without pay for three months from the time they boarded the vessel.

The situation reportedly forced the Filipino crew members to shoulder their airfare back to the Philippines, along with other expenses related to their repatriation.

Through the SEnA settlement process, the seafarer recovered a total of ₱318,600.25, covering accumulated unpaid wages and reimbursement for airfare expenses.

Not necessarily his three-month salary

The recovered amount should not automatically be interpreted as the seafarer’s regular three-month salary, as the settlement also included airfare reimbursement and covered accumulated unpaid wages.

The seafarer’s actual salary could not be determined based on the information released by OWWA Region II because his rank, employer, vessel, employment contract, and applicable wage scale were not identified.

How much do Filipino seafarers earn?

Seafarers’ salaries vary depending on several factors, including rank, vessel type, employer, employment contract, collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and applicable wage scales.

For context, industry wage scales and typical CBA rates may place monthly salaries within a wide range. However, these figures should not be taken as the actual compensation received by the Cagayan seafarer.

The absence of information about his rank and employment contract makes it impossible to determine how much he was supposed to earn each month or how much of the ₱318,600.25 settlement represented unpaid wages versus airfare reimbursement.

The case highlights the importance of Filipino seafarers understanding their employment contracts and knowing where to seek assistance when they encounter problems involving unpaid wages, repatriation costs, airfare, and other contractual obligations while working overseas.

For the Cagayan seafarer, the SEnA settlement provided a way to recover money owed to him and expenses he reportedly incurred after being left stranded thousands of kilometers from home.