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Press Release
National convention called to identify, address problems of
Filipino seafarers
by JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
OFW Journalism Consortium
CIVIL society groups addressing the welfare of seafarers
are hoping that a forthcoming national seafarers' convention
will help to develop a firm government commitment to look
at the problems affecting sea-based overseas Filipino workers
(OFWs).
Fr. Savino Bernardi of the Church-based Apostleship of the
Sea (AOS) Manila said the Filipino Seafarers National Convention,
slated to take place in late September, will be a wide-ranging
one, hoping to pinpoint the various problems of seafarers--from
their deployment overseas to their eventual return home.
The Australian priest of the Scalabrinian Missionaries of
Italy added the forthcoming Convention is more comprehensive
than previous meetings discussing seafarers' issues.
"Issues in seafarers' training and education, employment
and placement, laws affecting seafarers, the government bodies
handling seafarers, and the domestic shipping industry will
be tackled," said the AOS Manila director.
Initiative of OUMWA
The staging of the Convention is an initiative of the Office
of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA)
of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which was under undersecretary
Merlin Magallona. Magallona, however, resigned from the DFA
together with Vice- President Teofisto Guingona last month.
Magallona had called for the Convention after a visit with
Filipino seafarers in Eastern Europe last year.
The Office of the Vice President is funding the Convention,
which will cost one million pesos. OUMWA and the Commission
on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) are organizing the event. The
convention theme is "Pulong-Pulong ng mga Marinong Pilipino:
Pagsulong ng Talino, Kakayahan at Matatag na Kinabukasan (Meeting
of Filipino Seafarers: Promoting Wisdom, Ability and a Strong
Future)".
Convention's objective: to empower seafarers and their families
A concept paper issued by CFO said that the activity, which
hopes to gather 300 participants, will identify problem areas,
survey existing laws and government bodies affecting seafarers,
and design a comprehensive program to empower seafarers and
their families.
In preparation for the September affair, overseas consultations
were held in Yokohama, Japan; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Hamburg,
Germany; Kaoshiung, Taiwan; and Miami, USA from April to July.
The Convention will have three major thematic areas:
" Nurturing excellence and competitiveness among seafarers;
" Rationalizing legal environment and programs for seafarers,
and;
" Empowering seafarers to have a secure future.
Stakeholders in the shipping industry such as manning agencies,
trade unions, civil society organizations for seafarers, government
agencies and academicians are expected to participate, according
to the CFO.
The organizers also hope that a Magna Carta for Filipino
Seafarers and an "Agenda for the Sustainable Economic
Empowerment of Filipino Seafarers and their Families"
will be the results of the Convention.
Fr. Bernardi is encouraging stakeholders, especially the
seafarers themselves, to voice out their problems and concerns
during the Convention.
13 gov't agencies servicing seafarers
For example, since there are 13 government agencies working
for seafarers, Fr. Bernardi said seafarers are confused as
to which agency they should approach for specific concerns.
"The Convention should clarify links and responsibilities
between all 13 agencies dealing with seafarers. It should
lead to coordination, in such a way that seafarers will find
it a lot easier spending much less time going to one office
or another," he explained.
There is also a proposal by legislators to create a Department
of Maritime Affairs or a National Seafarers Administration
to streamline operations and services for seafarers, which
Bernardi said, should be studied "very carefully."
Fr. Bernardi called for a good and honest look at how the
seafaring educational system, with 118 maritime schools nationwide,
may be improved to facilitate employment and prepare officers
for their jobs.
Laws must be drafted explicitly for seafarers
In general, laws must be drafted explicitly for seafarers,
he said, since existing ones, such as Republic Act 8042 (the
Magna Carta for OFWs), address land-based jobs and any support
for seafarers is stipulated "just between the lines",
not directly.
Fr. Bernardi pointed out that RA 8042 has no specific provision
directed at seafarers. "It has been hastily prepared
after the case of Flor Contemplacion. But seafarers (were
put on the back burner) in that law--except in the affirmation
of very general principles as Filipinos deserving protection
from the State," he said.
For example, Fr. Bernardi said seafaring as an employment
classification is not included in the definition of the law
on who are overseas Filipino workers. While RA 8042 caters
mostly to the land-based workers, rules in deploying sea-based
OFWs are "substantially different from [rules for deploying]
land-based OFWs." These rules should be drawn from instruments
made by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and International
Maritime Organization (IMO) such as those on illegal recruitment
and disciplinary measures for manning agencies, he added.
For his part, Dennis Estopace of Atikha, Inc, an NGO, said
that while all the provisions in RA 8042 can be applicable
to seafarers, but it does not stipulate that they are included
as its specific beneficiaries. Domestic workers are also not
specifically listed as the law's beneficiaries.
"Maritime agencies such as MARINA are not included in
Article IV (on government agencies)," Estopace added.
Fr. Bernardi also has a special concern for utility boys,
whom manning agencies fool by getting them to work for free
as part of their training, prior to their deployment. "In
this instance, which many manning agencies still take advantage
of, Filipino seafarers are the beggars in the system,"
the Australian priest said.
Filipinos make up 20% of world's total merchant fleet
Filipino seafarers account for 20 percent, or approximately
240,000 seamen, of the world's total merchant fleet of over
1.2 million. Figures from the Philippine Overseas Employment
Administration (POEA) show that the deployment of Filipino
seafarers reached 204,951 last year, from only 50,604 in 1984.
In last year's remittance figures, the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas reported that seafarers contributed over a billion
US dollars last year, or one-sixth of the total remittances
of US$6.234 billion during the period.
Just last year, the Philippines made it to the "White
List" of the International Maritime Organization, which
certifies that its seafarers are qualified and competent to
work in ocean-going vessels, and that the country faithfully
complies with the provisions of the 1978 International Convention
on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping
for Seafarers (STCW).
"But we have to remain alert regarding government's
commitment to seafarers by holding it to the Convention. That
should be checked and assessed afterwards. I hope the government
has that goodwill for seafarers," Fr. Bernardi said.
The welfare of Filipino seafarers remains a problem. The
International Commission on Shipping (ICONS) wrote in its
2001 report, Ships, Slaves and Competition, that "tens
of thousands of seafarers are exploited or subjected to physical
and psychological abuse worldwide."
The Convention paper said that Filipino seafarers have been
subjected to physical abuse, contract substitution, delayed
or non-paid wages, black-listing and watch-listing. - OFW
Journalism Consortium
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Press release contributed by:
OFW Journalism Consortium
Contact address: INSTITUTE ON CHURCH AND SOCIAL ISSUES
2/F ISO Building, Social Development Complex, Ateneo de Manila
University,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines
63-02-4265953, 4266070 (fax), jopiniano@lycos.com, OFJournConsortium@yahoogroups.com
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