Xmas countdown: October 31

Xmas countdown: October 31: 55 days to go! To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.
Buddha

Xmas countdown: October 30:

Xmas countdown: October 30: 56 days to go! Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.
George Eliot

Xmas countdown: October 29

Xmas countdown: October 29: 36 days to go! I would rather die a meaningful death than to live a meaningless life.
Corazon Aquino

xmas countdown: october 28:

xmas countdown: october 28: 57 days to go! “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
― Mark Twain

Xmas contdown: October 25

Xmas contdown: October 25: 60 days to go! Everyone should smile. Life really isn’t that serious. We make it hard. The sun rises. The sun sets. We just tend to complicate the process.

Xmas countdown: October 24

Xmas countdown: October 24: 61 days to go! Our ancestors are totally essential to our every waking moment, although most of us don't even have the faintest idea about their lives, their trials, their hardships or challenges.
Annie Lennox

Xmas countdown: October 23

Xmas countdown: October 23: 62 days to go1 “I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”
― Marilyn Monroe

xmas countdown: October 22

xmas countdown: October 22: 63 days to go! “Life truly is precious. Gather every moment of it into your arms & embrace it.”― Paula Abdul

xmas countdown: October 21

xmas countdown: October 21: 64 days to go! If you love life, don't waste time, for time is what life is made up of.- Bruce Lee

Xmas countdown October 17

Xmas countdown October 17: 68 days to go! Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. - Lao Tzu

xmas countdown: October 16

xmas countdown: October 16: 69 days to go! The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters. - Audrey Hepburn

xmas countdown: October 15

xmas countdown: October 15: 70 days to go! The truth is you don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.
Eminem

xmas countdown: October 14

xmas countdown: October 14: 71 days to go! Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.- Mother Teresa

Xmas countdown: october 13:

Xmas countdown: october 13: 72 days to go! Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius

Xmas countdown: October 12

Xmas countdown: October 12: 73 days to go! Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living? Bob Marley

Xmas countdown: October 11

Xmas countdown: October 11: 74 days to go! If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.= Bruce Lee

xmas countdown: October 8

xmas countdown: October 8. 77 days to go1 "Do You Hear What I Hear" was inspired by the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Xmas countdown: October 7

Xmas countdown: October 7: 78 days to go! If you received all of the gifts listed in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" song, you would receive 364 presents

Xmas countdown: October 5

Xmas countdown: October 5: 80 days to go! What every Filipino looks forward to is Noche Buena, the grand family dinner after the midnight mass. Christmas morning is the time for visiting relatives. Filipinos wear new if not their best clothes. Children do mano, which is kissing or bringing to their forehead the hand of an elderly person. This is when they receive their pamasko, certainly aguinaldo from godfathers and godmothers. Christmas lunch and Christmas dinner are with family.

ANGKLA a no show in 19th National Seafarers Day (NSD)

ANGKLA partylist again failed to participate in the grand parade of the 19th National Seafarers Day (NSD) last Sunday, September 28, 2014, , the second in a row after it got elected as the partylist representative by the sector who is being given tribute on this celebration. The yellow shirts , flags or banners of ANGKLA are nowhere to be found during the activities of the 19th NSD with this year’s theme is “Marinong Pilipino: Haligi ng Pagbabago”. ANGKLA joined the parade in 2012, the year before the May 2013 elections presumably as part of its campaign to get the votes of the Pinoy seafarers. After it won, ANGKLA is a no-show in the two succeeding NSD, in 2013 and this year. The NSD is celebrated every last Sunday of September to give due recognition to the vital role of Filipino seafarers towards the development of the Philippines as a maritime country. I bet ANGKLA's yellow colors wil appear again next year since that will be the pre-election NSD to show its force. Although present in the ranks is a manning agency identified with ANGKLA. This year's NSD Grand Parade from Rajah Sulayman park in Malate to Ninoy Aquino Stadium was participated in by more than 4000 stakeholders from maritime schools, government agencies, manning agencies, training centers, maritime organizations, unions, families and private institutions. Let the pinoy seafarers themselves be the judge.

Xmas countdown: October .3

Xmas countdown: October 3: 82 days to go! The Viking god Odin is one precursor to the modern Santa Claus. According to myth, Odin rode his flying horse, Sleipnir (a precursor to Santa’s reindeer), who had eight legs. In the winter, Odin gave out both gifts and punishments, and children would fill their boots or stockings with treats for Sleipnir

Xmas countdown: October 2

Xmas countdown: October 2: 83 days to go! Christmas is a contraction of “Christ’s Mass,” which is derived from the Old English Cristes mæsse (first recorded in 1038). The letter “X” in Greek is the first letter of Christ, and “Xmas” has been used as an abbreviation for Christmas since the mid 1500s.c

19th National Seafarer's Day: “Marinong Pilipino: Haligi ng Pagbabago

Filipino seafarers are the living saints – they travel the high seas with a vocation and

purpose. These were the words of Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioko during the high mass last Sunday, September 28, 2014,   at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium  in celebration of the  19th National Seafarer's Day. This year’s theme is “Marinong Pilipino: Haligi ng Pagbabago”.

Bishop Ongtioko compared Filipino Seafarers to two Filipino saints – San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod. With faith as a weapon, the saints and the Filipino seafarers  sailed with a mission – to be the soldier of change not only in the Philippines but also to the whole world.

“Treasure your faith wherever you are. Translate your faith into actions – be the pillars of love of god,” he said. “Kung walang haligi, babagsak ang bahay. Marami mamamatay. Bawat isa ay may mission sa pagbuo ng matibay  na simbahan.”

Seafarers and their families  participated in the nationwide activities for the 18th National Seafarer's which included the Memorial at Sea, High Mass, Grand Parade, Oratorical/ Art/ Photo Contest, Karaoke challenge, 

The Grand Parade from Rajah Sulayman park in Malate to Ninoy Aquino Stadium  was participated in by more than 4000 stakeholders from maritime schools, government agencies, manning agencies, training centers, maritime organizations, unions, families and private institutions.

The high mass was celebrated by  Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongsioko while Vice-President Jejomar Binay was the keynote speaker.

 Another highlight is the awarding of the winners in the different NSD contest   including the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP): Elijah Jose C. Barrios (John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (Arevalo) Inc.) Boy George R. Benavente, John B.Lacson Colleges Foundation-Bacolod Inc; Niño C. Copones ( Mariner's Polytechnic Colleges Foundation-Canaman Campus); Shiela May M. Diaz  (Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific CGSO Campus);  Emmanuel D. Dotillos Jr. (University of Cebu LapuLapu and Mandaue); Christian John B. Fajarito ( Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Inc.); Frank Stevens O. Mendoza (Asian Institute of Maritime Studies); Roger Roland S. Roullo (Philippine Merchant Marine Academy);  Joseph Ryan S. Sanchez (DMMA College of Southern Philippines); and John Lawrence G. Tabanao (Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific CGSO Campus)

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Former president Fidel V. Ramos earlier issued on July 9, 1996 Proclamation No. 828 declaring August 18 as National Seafarers' Day (NSD) wherein  the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) was tasked to coordinate with the public and private sector in   activities related to the celebration of said event. The purpose of the Proclamation is to give due recognition to the vital role of Filipino seafarers towards the development of the Philippines as a maritime country. Later,  Proclamation No.1094 was issued in 1997 by President Ramos which moved NSD    during the last Sunday of September every year. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the other hand, in its Circular No. 1884 dated July 11, 1996, requested all member nations to “celebrate’ World Maritime Day (WMD )during the last week of every September (maritime week) of each year. Consequently, Presidential Proclamation No. 866 dated Sept. 6, 1996 declared Sept. 27, 1996 and the last Friday of September every year, as National Maritime Day (NMD) spearheaded alternatively by the government agencies , to wit Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and  Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). 

                 

The Philippines is considered as the major supplier of maritime labor globally as there is an estimated one Filipino seafarer for every four complements  on board a vessel.  Per Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data,. Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data showed that there are 367,166  Filipino seafarers with POEA approved contract that were  deployed in 2013 who  brought in dollar remittances that reached US$5,215,378,000  . As of 2013, the seabased sector’s remittance comprise at least 22% of the total dollar remittances of OFWs. Remittances help spur domestic consumption in the Philippines and a key ingredient in the country’s drive to achieve higher but sustainable growth.

Given the vast Philippine coast line (twice the size of the United States and nearly three times more than China), Filipinos have natural maritime instincts that place them at an advantage over other nationalities. Foreign shipowners are known to prefer Filipino seafarers for equally important qualities: dedication and discipline, industry, flexibility, loyalty, English language fluency, adaptability, positive work attitude, law-abiding, and problem-solving capability.

Ironically, the Philippines almost lost its slot on the historical first thirty ratifying countries of the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006 (MLC2006).  It took the Philippines six years to ratify MLC2006 on August 13, 2012 after it became a signatory of the so called international magna carta for seafarers rights. The convention sets out minimum standards and fair working conditions for seafarers worldwide. Philippines is the thirtieth country to ratify MLC 2006 out of the 314 signatories and one of the first thirty ratifying countries required for the convention to take effect.