Social Interaction Onboard among Selected Filipino Seafarers and its Effect on their Well-being

Social interaction onboard is a vital aspect of seafarer’s maritime life, shaping their daily experiences and well-being while navigating the open seas. It also fosters a sense of community and belonging for seafarers, counteracting the isolation inherent to long deployments at sea. Employing descriptive-correlation design, this study aims to determine the effect of social interaction on the well-being of Filipino seafarers. A researcher-made instrument was used to gather data from seventy-five (N=75) randomly selected respondents within Metro Manila. Findings revealed that the Filipino seafarers’ physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being is in good stand, while they also value their work regardless of the nature and challenges in their job. Furthermore, social interaction is only significantly related to the Filipino seafarers’ physical well-being. Though positive and moderate, this relationship implies that the higher the level of social interaction, the better the overall physical well-being. Thus, the physical well-being of Filipino seafarers varies depending on how they socially engage. If the seafarer is socially active towards their crewmates, then it will have a better effect on their physical wellbeing. With the above outcomes, it is recommended that seafarers should engage and give importance to social events onboard in order to improve their wellness and positively affect their mental state.