WHEN Jonathan Roberts, communications director of the UK

Chamber of Shipping, lamented that “[t]he public and our politicians don’t understand the importance of shipping to our trading economy,” he was just echoing a prevailing sentiment among key players in the shipping industry.

Over 90 percent of the world’s trade is carried by sea; most of the things we own have been brought by ships, and yet many of the world’s policymakers seem to be unaware of this.

A recent report by Nautilus International has validated this lack of awareness and understanding. Although the report covers the United Kingdom, we have reason to believe that this situation prevails in most areas of the world. This lack of awareness is called “sea blindness,” and it afflicts many policymakers, media and the general public.

The maritime industry serves as the international backbone of trade; it is no exaggeration to say that it sustains the very fabric of the modern world’s survival.

And yet it took a pandemic to make the public aware of the importance of seafarers. No other evidence of their importance was as stark as the sight of empty supermarket shelves and the delay in the delivery of goods ordered from overseas, goods so essential to daily living.

Seafarers all over the globe were among the most direly affected by the pandemic and the international lockdowns, with over 200,000 of them stranded aboard their vessels with no replacements.

In the Philippines, our seafarers were already manning the galleons and facilitating trade as early as the 17th century — a distinction that we still hold today, with Filipinos making up 30 percent of the 1.5 million seafarers in the world.

What are the implications of sea blindness on the maritime industry and seafarers?

For one thing, the world’s limited awareness of the importance of shipping has impacted the maritime sector’s ability to attract support and investment.

It has also affected the sector’s ability to entice young professionals to consider a career at sea. The crew change crisis aggravated the situation, leaving so many crew members trapped onboard for several months. How can we stave off the effects of sea blindness? Unfortunately, despite our long maritime history and status as an island nation, the public’s knowledge of shipping and seafaring is severely inadequate.

We must intensify efforts to raise public awareness of the critical role of seafarers and maritime as a worthwhile career. Those who are already working at sea must be assured of decent work conditions and fair treatment. Measures must be taken to address mental health issues and maintain a work-life balance.

Part of decent working conditions and mental health of seafarers is enhanced connectivity, the assurance that communication lines are accessible and loved ones are within reach whenever they are needed.

Yet all this will be for naught if policymakers remain blind to the importance of the seafarers and the shipping industry. Fortunately, our lawmakers are not afflicted with sea blindness.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo and his colleagues Senators Risa Hontiveros, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, Miguel Zubiri, Win Gathcalian, Grace Poe, Loren Legarda and Bong Go are in full support of the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers.

The proposed legislation, which in essence enshrines the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006 into Philippine law, provides for the protection of Filipino seafarers’ rights and aims to improve their working conditions, terms of employment, and career prospects, and provide opportunities to harness their optimum potentials. Seafarers shall also be protected against all forms of harassment and bullying while on board their ships through the establishment of helplines and grievance mechanisms.

Let us join together toward translating these provisions into reality. It requires a change in perspective as described by maritime historian Lincoln Paine in his book The Sea and Civilization:

“I want to change the way you see the world. Specifically, I want to change the way you see the world map by focusing your attention on the blues that shade 70 percent of the image before you and letting the earth tones fade. This shift in emphasis from land to water makes many trends and patterns of world history stand out in ways they simply cannot otherwise.”

One of these ways is the recognition of the critical role of seafaring and the shipping industry in world trade and the global economy.