Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 176, s. 2000 dated January 23, 2001 on the Subject "Coverage and Validity of Medical Examination of Overseas Contract Workers and Seafarers", it is hereby amended to read as follows:

V. Procedural Guidelines 

2. On the Coverage, Scope and Frequency of Medical Examination

a)	Coverage	This shall apply to All Filipino Seafarers
b)	xxx
c)	Frequency of Medical Examination	There shall be a fitness examination to be conducted prior to every deployment or service of seafarers at sea.

All provisions of A.O. No. 176 not affected by this amendment shall continue to be in full force and effect. This order shall take effect 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 

Adopted: 18 Apr. 2002 

(SGD.) MANUEL M. DAYRIT, MD, MSC
Secretary of Health