Press Release
April 16, 2008

BETTER TRAINING FOR SEAFARERS PUSHED

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today called for an improved educational curriculum, employment system and post-employment support for Filipino seafarers and their families.

"We need to take decisive steps to improve the national system of maritime education and training so that we may continue to produce high quality seafarers," he said.

Further, he advocated the welfare of Filipino seafarers by calling for the protection and promotion of the seafaring employment industry, and revision of the legislative code for the maritime employment industry.

"The Philippines remains the biggest source of seafarers in the global market for almost three decades now. All the more we must protect the welfare of Pinoy seamen and their families," he said, "A good start would be to come up with a definitive policy that will put together provisions on seafarers scattered in various laws."

Angara, who authored the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers, said "the overall aim of the bill is to improve the economic and social status of Filipino seafarers by giving them access to training, protecting them against illegal recruitment, and ensuring their health and safety while on board."

The said piece of legislation is considered a major breakthrough in Philippine maritime industry as the demand for RP seafarers increased in recent months.

"The challenge now lies for the Philippines to maintain its dominant presence vis-a-vis competition posed by emerging sources of labor such as China, Ukraine, India, Indonesia, Poland and Greece," he said. "We need to create a polished set of policies and rights."

Angara noted that Filipino seafarers have been giving remittances contributing to US dollar earnings of the country. He estimated that as much as USD 300 million are sent back to Filipino seamen's families every year. On top of that, Angara noted that the seafaring industry is growing at 10 percent in the next five to 10 years.

"The maritime-labor industry will be seriously undermined if the Philippine government does not take decisive steps to improve not only the national system of maritime education and training in the country, but also the development and implementation of a strong and consistent agenda for Filipino seafarers," Angara said.

An unprecedented 260,084 Filipino seafarers were deployed abroad last year, sending home a total of $1.589 billion for only the first ten months of 2006, according to the Department of Labor. This is the first time in the history of overseas employment that such number of Filipino maritime workers was reached, breaking the yearly average of 250,000.

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