FILIPINO seafarers are appealing for relief from the burden of physically attending mandatory refresher courses during their limited vacation time — a concern now being taken up in the Senate.

Instead of enjoying time with their families after long months at sea, many marine engineers and deck officers say they are forced to spend their breaks in classrooms for refresher and management courses.

This issue was raised directly to Senator Erwin Tulfo by several vacationing maritime officers, prompting him to take immediate action.

Tulfo announced his intention to file a Senate resolution urging the Maritime Industry Authority, headed by Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan, and the Department of Migrant Workers, led by Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac, to review the current system and consider offering these refresher trainings online.

“These seafarers are simply asking for online options,” said Sen. Tulfo. “They want to spend time with their families instead of being required to go to school in person every day during their break from work.”

He added that aside from losing valuable family time, seafarers are also burdened by daily transportation, fuel, and food expenses just to attend the courses.

He questioned the need for in-person attendance, especially since many of these are not new lessons but refresher or management-level modules.

“The real question here is why they still need to physically go to school when these are just refresher courses that could be done online,” the senator emphasized.

Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committees on Public Services and Migrant Workers, expressed support for the seafarers’ concerns.

“It’s unfair to them. Instead of spending their vacation with their loved ones, they’re stuck in school,” said Sen. Raffy Tulfo. “These courses used to be offered online. Why were the rules changed?”

Both senators vowed to look deeper into the matter to ease the burden on thousands of Filipino maritime professionals who significantly contribute to the country’s economy while enduring long periods away from their families.