UMAPELA si Marino Rep. Sandro Gonzalez sa Defeat COVID-19 Ad-Hoc Committee (DCC) na isama sa government stimulus package ang mga local seafarers.
Ayon kay Gonzales hindi lamang ang mga overseas Filipino workers na nagtatrabaho sa mga barko ang nangangailangan ng tulong kundi maging ang mga lokal na nagtatrabaho sa mga barko.
Sinabi ni Gonzalez na maaaring matulungan ang mga ito sa ilalim ng panukalang Accelerated Recovery and Intervention Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines Act (ARISE Philippines).
“The impact of the pandemic on our domestic seafarers is being overlooked. Domestic shipping has been crippled as many companies that are part of the supply chain have shut down,” ani Gonzalez.
“I have been pushing to institutionalize social amelioration and stimulus programs for seafarers since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak…. I have observed that seafarers have been neglected for too long despite contributing between $5 to 6 billion annually to our country’s gross income.”
Sinabi ni Gonzalez na matagal pa bago mapawi ang epekto ng COVID-19 at kabilang sa mga apektado nito ay ang libu-libong domestic seafarers.
“It is important for my constituency, the Filipino seafarers and their families, to be included in social amelioration and stimulus programs so that the government’s hallmark of inclusivity is realized,” dagdag pa ng solon.