5/19/2021 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly which can be reasonably linked to the tasks he performed on board the vessel. Moreover, the Court observed that the employer failed to refute the seafarer's allegations that "in the performance of his duties as Able Seaman, he inhaled, was exposed to, and came into direct contact with various injurious and harmful chemicals, dust, fumes/emissions, and other irritant agents; that he performed strenuous tasks such as lifting, pulling, pushing and/or moving equipment and materials on board the ship; that he was constantly exposed to varying temperatures of extreme hot and cold as the ship crossed ocean boundaries; that he was exposed as well to harsh weather conditions; that in most instances, he was required to perform overtime work; and that the work of an Able Seaman is both physically and mentally stressful." In the instant case, respondents vehemently denied petitioner's allegations. The Court, in Paringit v. Global Gateway Crewing Services, Inc.,[35] also acknowledged that "there is very little that seafarers can do to better their working conditions upon boarding a ship." The Court's grant of disability benefits was, however, not merely based on this premise. Rather, such grant was, in actual fact, grounded upon compliance with the requirements of compensability. Substantial evidence was found to have established that: (1) therein claimant-seafarer, hired as a Chief Mate, was "diagnosed with heart-disease, anemia, [and] renal dysfunction;" (2) he fell ill while he was aboard the vessel, which resulted to his medical repatriation; (3) he complied with the procedures prescribed under the POEA-SEC as he submitted himself to a postemployment medical examination conducted by a company-designated physician; (4) his illness[36] is one of the enumerated occupational diseases or that his illness is otherwise work-related; and (5) he complied with the four conditions enumerated under Section 32-A of the POEA-SEC for an occupational disease or a disputably presumed work-related disease to be compensable. Further, the Court found that the claimant-seafarer complied with the condition under Section 32-A, paragraph 11(d): claimant-seafarer being a known hypertensive complied with the prescribed medications and doctor-recommended lifestyle changes," among others. In this case, while petitioner's illnesses, as well as the fact that the same may be listed as occupational diseases, are undisputed, there was failure to establish with substantial evidence that the same were suffered during the term of his contract, him being repatriated for completion of contract without any reported injury or health issue actually militates against his claim of having suffered illnesses on board the vessel. It was also not established that he complied with the procedures prescribed under Section 20(A) of the POEA-SEC or with regard to the required submission to post-employment medical examination as he merely made general self-serving statements regarding the same. Likewise, it was not established that the conditions under the first paragraph of Section 32-A and paragraph 2(11) thereof were complied with considering that petitioner did not present substantial evidence, showing his specific tasks on board the vessel and the connection thereof to his illnesses. Notably, the one-page handwritten certification dated June 10, 2015 issued by Dr. Martinez cannot be considered sufficient to support petitioner's claims as it contains nothing but a statement that petitioner "underwent treatment due to severe chest pains last June 8, 2015;" that he was given medications therefor; and that he was advised to rest and to undergo further laboratory examinations. No clinical abstract of https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/66454 8/12