THIRD DIVISION [G. R. No. 144439. October 24, 2003] SOUTHEAST ASIA SHIPPING CORPORATION, petitioner, vs. SEAGULL MARITIME CORP. and COURT OF APPEALS, respondents. DECISION CARPIO-MORALES, J.: From the decision of the Court of Appeals1 in CA-G.R. CV No. 41307, Seagull Marine Corporation v. Southeast Asia Shipping Corporation, affirming that of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Manila, Branch 51,2 rendering judgment in favor of the plaintiff against the defendant-herein petitioner, the latter comes to this Court on a petition for review on certiorari. On November 2, 1982, Philimare Shipping and Equipment Supply (PHILIMARE SHIPPING), manning agent in the Philippines of Navales Shipmanagement and Marine Consulting Pte, Ltd. of Singapore (NAVALES) which was acting for and on behalf of Turtle Bay Shipping Pte. Ltd. of Singapore, (TURTLE BAY SHIPPING), hired Nerry Balatongan to work aboard the vessel Santa Cruz, later renamed Turtle Bay. A supplementary contract was later forged on December 6, 1982 which obliged the employer of Balatongan to insure him against death or permanent invalidity caused by accident on board the vessel. By a Crewing Agreement3 dated September 21, 1983, NAVALES, acting for and in behalf of TURTLE BAY SHIPPING, Oyster Bay Shipping Co. Pte Ltd. of Singapore (OYSTER BAY SHIPPING), and Koala Shipping Inc., Monrovia (KOALA SHIPPING), appointed respondent Seagull Maritime Corporation (SEAGULL) as its manning agent in the Philippines. SEAGULL assumed full responsibility for all seamen deployed by PHILIMARE SHIPPING. On October 6, 1983, Balatongan who, as earlier stated, was deployed by PHILIMARE SHIPPING on November 2, 1982, met an accident in the Suez Canal in Egypt. He was treated in a hospital in Egypt and was thereafter repatriated to the Philippines. On August 19, 1985, Balatongan was found to have been permanently disabled, drawing him to demand payment for total disability insurance in the sum of US$50,000.00. His claim was denied, however, as it was time-barred, he having failed to file it within the designated period for the purpose.