400,000 seafarers plied to rake in $4B

The Philippines manning industry on Thursday said it is projecting to deploy a record 400,000 seafarers worldwide by the end of this year despite the crisis in Europe.

In a statement, Eduardo Manese, Joint Manning Group (JMG) chairman said the projected seafarers deployment would have an expected foreign currency remittance of about $4 billion to the Philippine economy.

JMG, which is the umbrella organization of the country’s crew management and overseas shipping industry, has vowed to strongly support and work together with the Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) and its line agencies in preserving the sector’s achievement as the top supplier of seafarers to the world’s merchant marine fleet.

“DOLE has been working closely with us to address pressing issues concerning the ratification of the Maritime Labor Convention and the Seafarers’ Identification Document, and the anti-piracy program to help our seafarers combat piracy in the high seas,” Manese said.

Manese said that despite the financial crisis affecting European economies, demand for Filipino seafarers to operate commercial ships of various flags has hardly diminished. –Darwin G. Amojelar, Manila Times