Premised on a scenario that a cargo vessel was hijacked by pirates, Atty. Valeriano del Rosario, together with some of the experts in the Maritime Law in Asia, provided a lively and engaging 90-minute discussion on the impact of piracy in insurance claims, ship arrest, cargo interests, among others, during one of the sessions of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA) Conference held in Taguig City last March 16, 2018. The fictional scenario’s plot progressed and was applied in different jurisdictions, governed by different laws. Atty. del Rosario, more particularly, tackled the situations of the detained crew and their rights under Philippine laws. Equipped with almost 30 years of experience, Atty. del Rosario gave the audience, mostly foreign lawyers, a clear picture of the liabilities, civil and criminal, of the Philippine manning agency and its principal by citing and expounding on the “Affidavit of Undertaking”, which they are required to execute. The talk offered insights on how the Philippine Government protects the welfare of its seafarers, and the role lawyers play in balancing divergent interests and advancing their clients’ rights.