Question & AnswerQ&A (MARINA MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 87)
The legal basis for the issuance of the SIRB is Section 12 paragraph (j) of EO No. 125-A dated 13 April 1987 and in conformity with ILO Convention No. 108, the Seafarer's National Identity Documents Convention, 1958.
All merchant marine officers and ratings on board vessels of 35 gross tons or over, and off-shore workers seeking employment are required to secure the Seafarer's Identification and Record Book.
A seafarer refers to rated and non-rated skills manning merchant marine vessels and off-shore oil rigs.
Revalidation of SIRB refers to the process by which the effectivity or validity period of an SIRB is extended. The maximum number of revalidations allowed is three (3).
Grounds include incompetence or negligence in duty, intemperate habits such as drunkenness endangering the vessel or life, insubordination or direct assault, violation of contract terms without just cause, and final court conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.
Mandatory revocation causes include assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of ship's property, misconduct resulting in loss of life or serious injury, molestation of passenger, murder or attempted murder, mutiny, possession or use of prohibited drugs, smuggling, sabotage, court conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, theft of ship's property, perversion, jumping ship, and serious neglect of duty.
The validity period of the SIRB is five (5) years for overseas and offshore employment, and three (3) years for domestic and fishing employment.
SIRBs may be claimed 24 hours after submission at the MARINA Central Office, and 10 days from the date of filing if applied at Maritime Regional Offices (MROs). Special processing is available for applicants leaving the country within eight (8) hours given they submit all documents two (2) hours before the close of official working hours.
Applicants submitting false statements or tampered documents are subject to criminal prosecution under the Revised Penal Code and administrative fines ranging from PHP 2,000 to PHP 14,000 depending on their rank. For succeeding offenses, suspension or disqualification to practice may be imposed.
They are solidarily liable to administrative fines of PHP 25,000 for the first infraction, PHP 50,000 for the second with suspension of license for one month, and PHP 100,000 for the third with recommendation for license cancellation. Responsible officials and employees may also face criminal prosecution.