80,000 seafarers face job loss

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is seeking “vigorous and sustainable reforms” in the maritime industry for the Philippines to pass the European Union safety audit in October and be able to save the jobs of Filipino seafarers boarding European Union-flagged commercial vessels.

At least 360,000 Filipino seafarers are aboard EU vessels but their number will be pared down by 80,000 initially if the Philippines flunks the safety audit to be conducted by the EU Maritime Safety Agency.

Belmonte stressed the need to upgrade standards of training for the sailors to ensure that all schools comply with international norms and principles.

“Let us do everything we can to pass it (EU maritime audit). Whatever is necessary, our concerned government agencies must be ready to implement the reforms. Part of it is to upgrade the schools. We need vigorous reforms with sustainable outcomes and I believe we can do it,” Belmonte said in an interview.

Belmonte said the Philippine government is “working very hard” to get the nod of the European Maritime Safety Agency which conducts the audit and review of the country’s maritime administration The last audit was held from April 15 to 19.

Sharing Belmonte’s view on skills upgrading, Rep. Rodel Batocabe stressed that the Aquino administration could not afford to lose the job of the huge number of Filipino seafarers.

“I have full confidence that we will pass such maritime audit,” Batocabe said. “There have been audits in the past conducted by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) on our maritime schools and training centers and we passed them with flying colors despite some challenges,” he said.

Filipino sailors comprise 25 percent of the entire global maritime workforce.

“Faced again with the same sanctions from EU, I have no doubt we will rise again to the challenge. All we have to is to get our acts together. We did it that in the past. There is no reason why we can’t do it now. Besides, I always believe that Filipino seafarers are unparalleled in terms of skills and competence,” Batocabe said.

Earlier, the German Shipowners’ Association (Verband Deutscher Reeder) has warned that tens of thousands Filipino seafarers risk losing their jobs in EU-registered ships if the Philippine government fails to pass the EU maritime audit in October.

The International Chamber of Shipping, the world’s principal shipping organization representing 80 percent of the world’s merchant tonnage, also called the attention of President Benigno Aquino III in a letter to address the EU’s concern over the country’s maritime industry’s failure to pass the audit last April.

During his visit to Germany, Vice President Jejomar Binay disclosed after meeting with some 50 German shipping titans in the seaport capital city of Hamburg that they would keep their Filipino seamen and supported the country’s efforts to pass the next EU maritime safety audit. –Maricel Cruz, Manila Standard Today