Of what use is a magna carta if it's not for the intended beneficiary?

THIS piece must serve as a redeemer of a promise I made to a Facebook follower of mine who some two years ago implored me to take up the cause of the Philippine seafarers. The guy, who I can only vaguely recall now, was supposed to speak on behalf of all Filipino seamen. I did write the draft of a piece on the matter, but somehow it got swamped by newer developments so that I was never able to do as requested by the group. It was a pleasant surprise, therefore, when suddenly the issue struck me again.

Up for deliberations now is Senate Bill 2369 sponsored by Sen. Joel Villanueva and supported by Senators Edgardo Angara Jr. and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. The measure aims to champion the cause of Filipino seamen comprising one-fourth of the 1.6 million world total of seafarers. That's counting 230,000 Filipino individuals serving in both local and international sea vessels.