Marina: Unemployment looms for seafarers

By YASHIKA F. TORIB, 13 May 2020

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) anticipates a slowdown in the deployment of seafarers, even if the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) is lifted, due to global shipping downturn.

Marina Administrator Robert Empedrad confirmed in an interview that seafarers “might not get deployed soon”.

“Before the pandemic, almost 40 percent of our seafarers are already unemployed and I think this could increase with the two-month ECQ. Lockdowns have temporarily suspended deployments as well as the conduct of pre-departure training and renewal of certificates and licenses,” Empedrad said.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared the implementation of ECQ nationwide in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

The same concern hounds the manning sector with warnings of massive unemployment, as foreign ship owners are reportedly looking at other seafarers from other nations to replace Filipinos.

“If this happens, thousands of Filipino seafarers will lose employment and in effect, a great loss of remittance to the economy,” said lawyer Iris Baguilat, president of Doehle Seafront Crewing Manila, crewing arm of Germany-based Dohle Group.

In 2018, cash remittances from Filipino seafarers was approximately $6 billion, comprising 19 percent of total overseas Filipino worker remittance.

Baguilat leads the group of manning agencies that submitted a position paper to Marina seeking to consider seafarers and manning agency employees as “key workers” as likewise suggested by the International Maritime Organization. The group emphasized that restriction on movements within the maritime industry results to a disruption in the global supply chain because seafarers couldn’t be sent to operate and man vessels.

In response to the growing dilemma of the manning sector, Empedrad has committed to study and analyze the situation to come up with an effective solution.

“Together with the manning agencies, we are studying ways not to disrupt the deployment of our seafarers, especially the crew changes. I just need more counsel for the industry to rise strong after Covid,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Marina has issued advisories for the extension of validities of all certificates for a period of six months after their expiration dates.

It has also focused on working with other government agencies and maritime organizations on sending home repatriated seafarers to their families as well as the 7,000 locally stranded individuals who are still stuck in Manila.

“My relationship with the maritime stakeholders is more of an ally as we battle with Covid-19. Hopefully, after this, they would see me as a trusted partner and someone who can lead the industry towards development and progress,” he said.

“I started in a stormy condition as the (Marina) administrator, and to be very honest, the past two months is actually been one of the toughest two months of my life as a public servant. When your stakeholders are crying out to you and you can only do so much, it is very frustrating and certainly not enjoyable. I think the most difficult part is yet to come,” Empedrad added.

“Nonetheless, I am ready for the challenge and with the cooperation of the maritime stakeholders, there is no reason not to believe that we can rise up from this devastation and become a progressive maritime industry,” he concluded.