OIC-NW Jebsen Gamido, Founder and President, Positibong Marino Philippines

Founder and president of Positibong Marino Philippines, Jebsen Rederri Go Gamido is HIV positive even before sailing as a deck cadet for the first time.

Gamido explains, “I have faced so many challenges to getting employment on board ship. That’s why I am committed to build this network of HIV positive seafarers in the Philippines … We will challenge the stigma and discrimination around HIV/AIDS and fight for our rights, especially in the Philippines, where employment discrimination based on HIV status is prohibited by law.

Positibong Marino Philippines has been formally registered as a self-help and support group for HIV-positive seafarers. It will work with the ITF, its unions and the Joint Manning Group (JMG) in the Philippines to defend the rights of HIV-positive seafarers, who find it difficult to get employment because of their health status.