National Seafarers' Day 2011

 "Sa inyong pagalalayag ay dala ninyo ang katangiang Pilipino - kasipagan, pagmamahal sa pamilya at paniniwala/ takot sa Diyos (In your journey you bring with you unique Filipino traits - reliableness, love of family and faith/ fear of God)", thus declared His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, Archbishop of Manila, during the mass in celebration of the 16^th National Seafarers’ Day (NSD)  at the Manila Cathedral.

The homily of Cardinal Rosales centered on the significance of the seafaring profession both in the Philippine economy and the lives of the stakeholders. He stressed that more often than not, you can recognize a Filipino seafarer on board the vessel by looking into his cabin and the pictures posted in his wall - his family along with that of Jesus Christ, Mary or any other saint, signifying the source of  his strenghth amidst the hardships and challenges of his profession.

Per Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data, there were 330,424 Filipino seafarers deployed abroad in 2009 comprising almost 30 percent of the global maritime labor force. Although the number of deployed Filipino seafarers has decreased from 2006 (274,497), 2007 (266,553) to 2008 (261,614), the dollar remittances have been constantly  increasing from US$1.9B in 2006, US$2.2B in 2007 , US$3B in 2008, US$3.4B in 2009 to US$3.8B in 2010.

The mass was preceded by the grand parade from LUSWELF in Kalaw to the Manila Cathedral participated by more than  five thousand stakeholders coming from the schools, government and private sector (organizations/ unions, manning agencies, training centers, etc). Earlier, there was wreath laying ceremonies held at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) compound in honor of the deceased seafarers.

Under Proclamation No.1049 issued in 1997 by then president Fidel V. Ramos,  the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) was tasked to coordinate with the public and private sector in   activities related to the National Seafarers’ Day during the last Sunday of September every year.   This year's 16^th National Seafarers’ Day celebration fell on September 25, 2011, . with the  theme “Marinong Pilipino: Lakas ng Pagkakaisa!” It embodies the unified attitude of the Filipino Seafarers’ ideals, morals and cause.

This year's NSD served as the kick- off of the National Maritime Week (NMW). On July 17, 2008, then President Gloria M. Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 1560 declaring last Friday of September of every year as “National Maritime Day” , spearheaded by the government agencies , to wit : Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)/ Cebu Ports Authority. 

Both celebrations focused on two main issues affecting the Filipino Seafarers: piracy and the maritime labor convention.

The recent piracy incidents are  reality checks  to the risk faced by seafarers , particularly Filipino seafarers.  The Philippines, which supplies a third of the world’s seafarers’ population, is among the most adversely affected and seriously alarmed by incidences of piracy in the Somali basin and the Gulf of Aden. The hijacking of dozens of vessels, ranging from massive oil tankers to chartered supply ships carrying UN food aid for Somalia, has become a highly lucrative industry with millions of dollars paid in ransom each year.

  Seafarers are on the frontline of the piracy problem. In recent years, thousands of seafarers have been killed, injured, assaulted, taken hostage or threatened as piracy and armed robbery have increased dramatically.. All seafarers transiting the Gulf of Aden and Northern Indian Ocean, have to live with the risk of attack. When ships are attacked by pirates, crews suffer the stress of being fired upon with guns and rocket propelled grenades and those captured can be held hostage for months. Following a piracy attack those involved can be seriously affected by post traumatic stress. 

            As a policy, the Philippine government does not negotiate with nor pay ransom to kidnappers, but gives ship owners the free hand in negotiating for the release of abducted Filipino sailors

On the other hand, it is now  incumbent upon the Philippine government to ratify the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006 (MLC2006) in order that it will be one of the thirty ratifying countries required  for the convention  to take effect. 

With the recent  ratification by Antigua and Barbuda last August 11, 2011 of the MLC 2006 last June 15, 2011 , 18  member States of the International Labour Organization (ILO)  have now ratified this important Convention, which sets out minimum standards and fair working conditions for seafarers worldwide. While the first requirement for entry into  force of the Convention – coverage of 33 per cent of the world gross tonnage – has already been attained, Antigua and Barbuda’s ratification is an important step towards achieving the second requirement: 30 ratifying countries. It is expected that the additional 12 ratifications will be obtained before the end of 2011, indicating that the MLC, 2006 will enter into force in 2012.

The convention was already ratified by  18 countries/ states, to wit: Liberia  (June 7,2006), Marshall Islands  (September 25, 2007 ), Bahamas (February 11,2008), Panama (February 6, 2009), Norway (February 10, 2009) , Bosnia and Herzegovina  (January 18, 2010) , Spain (February 4, 2010), Croatia  (February 12, 2010) , Bulgaria (April 12, 2010) , Canada (June 15,  2010),Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (November 9, 2010) , Switzerland (February 2, 2011), Gabon (May 12, 2011) Benin (June 13, 2011), and Singapore ( June 15, 2011). Denmark (June 23, 2011)  Latvia (August 12, 2011), Antigua and Barbuda (August 11, 2011).

The  MLC  contains a comprehensive set of global standards, based on those that are already found in 68 maritime labor instruments. It modernizes the global  standards to: (a) set minimum requirements for seafarers to work on a ship; (b) address conditions of employment, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection; (c) promote compliance by operators and owners of ships by giving governments sufficient flexibility to implement its requirements in a manner best adapted to their individual laws and practices; and (d) strengthen enforcement mechanisms at all levels, including provisions for complaint procedures available to seafarers, shipowners’ supervision of conditions on their ships, the flag States’ jurisdiction and control over their ships, and port State inspections of foreign ships.