Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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Protecting Seafarers' Permanent Partial Disability and the Right to Compensation
Supreme Court rules seafarers can claim permanent partial disability benefits even if injury is curable or not in POEA schedule.
Seafarers Disability Claims: Strict Adherence to POEA Contract Procedures Required
SC ruling in Calimlim v. Wallem Maritime: seafarers must follow POEA-SEC procedures, including third-doctor referral, or company physician's assessment stands.
Illegal Recruitment and Estafa: Liability for Promising Overseas Work
The Supreme Court affirmed convictions for illegal recruitment in large scale and estafa where accused spouses promised overseas jobs without a POEA license.
Work-Related Illness and Causation in Seafarer Disability Claims: Key Lessons
Learn how Philippine courts decide seafarer disability claims, focusing on work-related illness, causation, and the POEA standard of proof.
Maritime Law Shipowner Liability and Seafarers Death Benefits: Insurance and Solidary Obligations Explained
The Supreme Court clarifies shipowner liability, POEA-SEC death benefits, insurance proceeds, and solidary obligations in Phil-Nippon Kyoei v. Gudelosao.
Death Benefits for Seafarers: Proving Work Relatedness Under the POEA-SEC
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer death benefits, work-relatedness, and the POEA-SEC compensability requirements.
The Burden of Proof in Seafarer Disability Claims: Clarifying the Third Doctor Rule
A seafarer who disputes a company doctor's fit-to-work finding must follow the POEA-SEC third doctor rule and present solid medical evidence, the Supreme Court reminds.
Premature Filing Bars Seafarers Disability Claim: POEA-SEC 240-Day Rule Explained
Filing a disability claim before the company doctor issues an assessment within 240 days can be fatal. Learn from this Supreme Court ruling.
Permanent Total Disability for Seafarers: The 120-Day Rule and POEA-SEC Entitlement
When does a seafarer's disability become permanent and total? The Supreme Court clarifies the 120-day rule and POEA-SEC compensation in Island Overseas Transport v. Beja.
Conflicting Medical Reports: When a Seafarer Gets Full Disability Benefits
Philippine Supreme Court rules on conflicting company doctor reports, entitling seafarer to full permanent disability benefits under POEA-SEC.
Seafarer's Right to Disability Benefits When Employer Delays Post-Employment Medical Exam
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies employer duties and seafarer rights in post-employment medical examinations under the POEA-SEC.
Beyond 120 Days: Seafarer’s Right to Permanent Total Disability Benefits
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer is deemed permanently and totally disabled under the 120-day rule and POEA-SEC.
Premature Disability Claims: Seafarers Must Follow Medical Assessment Procedures
The Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's disability claim is premature and why following the POEA-SEC medical assessment procedure matters.
Injunctions Against POEA Orders: Balancing Agency Authority and Judicial Review
When can courts enjoin POEA orders? The Supreme Court clarifies the limits of agency authority and judicial power in Principalia.
Presumption of Compensability Protecting Seafarers With Cardiovascular Disease
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarers' disability benefits for cardiovascular disease, presumption of compensability, and POEA-SEC.
Seafarer Death Benefits: Proving Work Relatedness and Contractual Obligations
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when seafarer death benefits are payable under the POEA Standard Employment Contract, emphasizing work relatedness and contract term.
Seafarer Disability Claims: The Weight of Company-Designated Physician Assessments
Learn how the Supreme Court ruled on seafarer disability claims, emphasizing the company-designated physician's assessment and timely procedures under the POEA-SEC.
When Fit-to-Work Assessments Prevail: Seafarer Disability Claims Under POEA-SEC
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a company-designated physician's fit-to-work declaration prevails over a seafarer's chosen doctor in disability claims.
Seafarers' Rights: Defining Total and Permanent Disability in Maritime Contracts
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer's partial disability becomes total and permanent under the POEA-SEC and Labor Code.
Beyond the Contract: Can Seafarers Claim Disability Benefits After Employment Ends?
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies why death and disability benefits under the POEA contract must be claimed correctly and within the proper proceedings.
Insubordination on the High Seas: Protecting Seafarers' Rights Against Unjust Dismissal
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on seafarer dismissal clarifies the burden of proof in insubordination cases and procedural due process under the POEA-SEC.
Defining Disability Seafarers Rights TO Full Compensation Under Poea SEC
Supreme Court clarifies when a seafarer with a Grade 8 disability rating is entitled to total and permanent disability compensation under the POEA SEC.
Seafarer Death Benefits After Contract Termination: What Employers Must Know
Supreme Court clarifies when death benefits apply under POEA contract—death must occur during employment term, not after pre-termination.
Seafarer Disability Claims: POEA-SEC Procedures and Assessment Timelines
Learn how the 240-day rule and POEA-SEC procedures govern seafarer disability claims, and why following the assessment process matters.