“A deadly dream: How the Philippines fails its migrant fishers”

…The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)…was created to act as the regulator … oversight has come up short, even when there are signs of abuse…

…The manning agency that got Cernal a job … [was] Able Maritime Seafarers, spent several years developing a reputation for risky behavior…

…(Able Maritime Seafarers did not respond to requests for comment.)…

…thirty-five Filipino …were … trafficked into hard labor in Namibian waters…

One of the manning agencies that handled the thirty-five Filipinos’ work placement—Diamond H Marine Services & Shipping Agency—had already been found to have sent workers into dangerous conditions….

…Diamond H did not respond to requests for comment. Company leadership at Trioceanic Manning & Shipping said that the company is fully cooperating with the DMW…

…, the copy provided by the government … lists a different manning agency, called Global Marine and Offshore Resources…

…Global Marine and Offshore Resources denied any allegations of a connection between the two manning agencies…

…Global Marine and Offshore Resources denied working with employers who use illegal tactics and said they were not aware of any abuse occurring on board vessels where laborers the company had recruited were working, but that communication struggles may have led to flare-ups…

... In June 2024, the DMW announced its support for nearly 100 fishermen in filing complaints against a manning agency called Buwan Tala Manning...