PH seafarers assured of House support

The leadership of the House of Representatives yesterday assured that the passage of legislation that would fortify the Philippines’ position as a globally preferred source of competent and skilled seafarers will remain in the list of its priorities.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Filipino seamen will remain the No. 1 choice of global shipping companies because Congress has committed the approval of laws that would ensure continued compliance with international standards and enhancement of training programs of seafarers.

Together with Angkla Party-list Rep. Jesulito Manalo, Belmonte said the measures that will be included in the priority list of the Lower House are those that will also ensure the safety and welfare of Filipino seafarers.

Earlier, the Lower House passed a bill that saved thousands of Filipino seafarers from possible blacklisting by the European Union, and consolidated the training and certification under the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina).

The House has also approved a bill establishing the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in Mindanao to make the region a maritime hub.

“We’re frequently holding dialogues with the Marina, shipping companies, other stakeholders and even (maritime) schools so that we’re constantly apprised of and attuned to the developments in the global shipping industry and be able to immediately enact legislation,” Manalo said following a meeting between industry leaders and lawmakers in Manila earlier this week.

He cited various threats and opportunities that should prompt the government and the industry to be on the lookout, including declining remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and increased competition as well as expansion of the global shipping industry.

Manalo, vice chairman of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, said Filipino seafarers comprise around five percent of the total OFW deployment but account for over 20 percent of the total annual dollar remittances.

He said seafarers’ income are not as sensitive compared to those land-based OFWs, whose employment depend on the prevailing economic conditions of their host countries.

Belmonte noted that the Philippines provides the most number of seafarers in the whole world — about 400,000 out of the 1.2 million total seafarers — and the country must maintain the lead even as it works on increasing deployment.

Meanwhile, Marina Administrator Maximo Mejia said an estimated 6,000 new ships and other vessels are expected sail until 2018 which pose tremendous opportunities for Filipino seafarers.

“It’s really providential that we’re having for the first time this kind of alignment of the legislative and executive plus very strong supporters in the sector so that we can make training and certification effortless but at the same time maintaining our commitment to standards in accordance to international conventions,” Mejia said.

The Marina chief was referring to the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping.