ALLOTMENT has become a common problem in connection with Filipino seafarers’ remittances which comprise at least 22 percent of the total dollar remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) contract, the Filipino seafarer is required to make an allotment of 80 percent of his basic salary payable once a month to his designated allottee.
The employment contract is the bilateral agreement between the seafarer and his principal, as represented by the manning agency. Like any personal property he can freely dispose or give to anybody without other limitations than those provided by law.
The law requires the inward remittance but not the manner or as to how he will divide nor dispose it. Under this concept, a seafarer’s wife cannot force the agency to remit to her account more than what is allowed by the seafarer. What is required by law is to implement and enforce the required inward remittance of the seafarer’s salaries to the Philippines and not to see whether or not the full amount of the remittance is received by the seafarer’s dependents.
The mandatory remittance required by law does not divest the right of an overseas worker over his hard-earned money or earnings. A seafarer’s earned salary or wage is his exclusive property; the matter of its disposition is his alone and his employer cannot interfere on how salary should be divided and to whom the salary should go.
Nevertheless, one legal recourse of the wife is the filing of a civil case for support. Once the court grants the petition, the said court order should be given to the manning agency and attached to each POEA contract. This will serve as a notice to the seafarer that failure to comply will have legal consequence. The manning agency is likewise bound to abide by said order for the allocation in favor of the wife.
Moreover, a Filipino seafarer can be held criminally liable and be subjected to sanctions due to the act of abandoning his financial obligation to persons to which he is obliged by law to support.
Under the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act promulgated on March 8, 2004, “economic abuse” can be committed against a woman who is his wife, former wife, or against a woman with whom the person has or had a sexual or dating relationship, or with whom he has a common child, or against her child whether legitimate or illegitimate, within or without the family abode.”
Popularly known as VAWC, “economic abuse” is defined as any act that makes or attempts to make a woman financially dependent which includes, but is not limited to the following:
- withdrawal of financial support or preventing the victim from engaging in any legitimate profession, occupation, business or activity, except in cases wherein the other spouse/partner objects on valid, serious and moral grounds as defined in
- deprivation or threat of deprivation of financial resources and the right to the use and enjoyment of the conjugal, community or property owned in common
If convicted, the seafarer shall be punished by prision mayor, or imprisonment of a minimum of six years and one day to a maximum of twelve years.
He shall also shall pay a fine in the amount of not less than P100,000 but not more than P300,000). The court may likewise expedite the process of issuance of a hold departure order once the case is filed.
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(Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786)/PN
Magandang araw po Atty.I’m a seamns wife married for 6 years.Ask ko lang regarding sa allotment.Allotment ko po dati ay 20k lang sa total na salary ng asawa ko na $1,100.Then starting last August 2018 bumagsak sa 13k.Ang sabi ng asawa ko inadjust ng kompanya.how true?? I pay the rent for 5k,water bill,electricity bill,food,allowance of our son,and schooling..13k is not enough. I don’t have work,Dahil dadalawa lang kni ng anak ko sa bahay naka bukod kami.I only one taking care of him.Now Gusto ng asawa ko makipag hiwalay dahil lang sa away naming sa pera..Question…can I demand for atleast 70% for my allotment? What are the legal actions I will do?Thank you for answering my problem
Magandang araw po Atty. I’m a seaman’s mother. Ask ko lng sana Atty. Kung may karapatan ba ako na manghingi ng allotment kc single nman sya at wala pang naanakan. Hindi po kc sya nagbibigay ng monthly allowance ko and wala po akng work and single parent po ako at may edad na.
Gud morning po Atty. Hindi po kami kasal ng tatay ng mga anak ko., ung panganay q sakanya 8 years old na po and pregnant po aq ngaun ng 8 mos. Dati po hindi pa nman xa opisyal $200 lang po natatanggap namin ng anak q na allotment taong 2010-2014 10 years na po xa sa Agency nya., ngaun opisyal na xa humingi aq ng pabor sknya na gawing $500 naman,kc nagaaral na ung panganay namin sa private., ang tuition annual ay humigit kumulang 25k pati may school service, wala pa ang misc. At mga iba pang gastusin ., tama po bang mas malaki ang natatanggap ng mga magulang at mga kapatid nya? Hindi po kami nagsasama dinadalaw dalaw nya lang po kami sa bahay ng parents q.,kailangan q din po magshare ng mga gastusin sa bahay like bills.,kahit nakikipisan lang kami sa family q., 3rd engineer na po xa ng DIANA SHIPPING under CROSSWORLD MARINE sa makati Agency., lalo na po kpag nagmaternity leave na q sa trabaho pra mag alaga sa baby namin paglabas nya. Wala na po kaming relasyon sa ngaun dahil ilang beses na po nya akong niloloko kahit buntis ako. Ang gsto q nlng po ay maibigay ang dapat sa mga anak ko. Kahit sa mga bata nalang po. Lahat naman para sa mga bata. At kng nsa Pilipinas sya nakabakasyon tuloi tuloi padin ba dapat ang suporta nya sa mga bata?? Hindi po aq naghangad ng para sakin. Salamat po.
May pinsan po ako seaman paalis na po siya 6x na xia umalis Wala parin nangyayari kc po Ang asawa Nia isinusugal po ang allote Nia pati Ang anak nia di naiibigay ang gusto kc po sa sugal napupunta naaaw na po ako sa pinsan ko at sa Mga magulang Nia na naghihirap para sa anak Nia may lalaki narin po ung babae…hiwalay na po sila pero wala papo annualment nanangyayari sa kanila.ibinibigay Naman po ng mga magulang ng pinsan ko lahat ng pangangailangan nila…bahay kuryenti at tubig po at lahat ng gastos sa Bata…hiling po ng mga magulan na Kung pwed e 5k lang matatangap ng Asawa ng pinsan ko pero libre na po lahat bahay koryenti at pangangailangan ng Bata pwed po ba un?kc po ayaw pumayag asawa ng pinsan ko e.
Goog day sir. what if hindi po nakalagay sa birth nang bata yung apilyedo and ng father nya. Is the chil;d still qualified for application of allotment?
Good afternoon po, Sir asked ko lng po meron po b ako makukuha allotment said asawa ko?kasal po kami sir,1st time nya po mag work sa barko.. agency po nya is UPL CArNival…sbe po KC sakin wla dw po sila allotment…totoo po b in sir?salamat po
Good day po…may tanong po ako sa inyo..kasal po kami ng asawa kong seaman ,last october po nag away kami kasi nahuli ko yung mga kalokohan nya.last january po imbis 500$ yung allotment ko 13k nalang pinadala which is 500$ naman talaga pinermahan nya sa contrata ng opisina nung pag alis nya last september. Hindi pa po sya nakauwi kasi di pa tapos kontrata nya. Pwede po ba bawasan yung alotment kasi hiwalay na kami through verbal lang kahit di pa tapos kontrata nya?pwede ko bang ireklamo yung asawa ko o wala na akong habol dun bilang asawa?kasi para sa anak ko nalang daw yun…wala po akong trabaho kasi inaalagaan ko anak namin at pinahinto nya ako noon sa trabaho.pls pi need ko advice ninyo.salamat.