ANOTHER BREAKTHROUGH:
UFS establishes extension office
in Pusan, South Korea
IN one of the biggest leaps made by the UFS since it was
founded in 1994, it has now established an extension office in Pusan, South
Korea. This is the third such conduit office of the 25-strong union of
seafarers. The first was in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, which was established
in 1996, two years after the union was founded. The second was in New York,
which was set up in 1998.
UFS president Nelson P. Ramirez said the setting-up of
the Pusan UFS office augurs well to the need for center for Filipino seamen
visiting one of the busiest ports in the Asia-Pacific Region. He estimates
that around 20,000 seamen pass or are in transit in Pusan each month. "There
they need a short respite from the prolonged loneliness at sea and at the
same time find some fellow Pinoys that they can interact with," he noted
during the opening of the extension office early this April.
Ramirez gave credit to the enthusiasm of a South Korean
former master mariner who is now engaged in a ship handling, Capt. B.S.
Bae. "He was very sensitive to the problems of seafarers and he noted that
there are so many Filipino seamen in Pusan, most of whom have no place
to go, whenever they make port calls," the UFS official said.
According to Ramirez, he immediately welcomed the suggestion
of Capt. Bae early this year "to visit Pusan to work out a mutual program
of assistance to Filipino seafarers." Telephone calls were immediately
exchanged and communications facilitated until "we were invited to formally
launch the extension office," he added.
Among the concerns of Capt. Bae is "many of the Filipino
seafarers who have no place to spend their time in South Korea's biggest
and busiest port are forced to seek cheap pleasure in bars where drink
and sex abound."
"This is tragic, because the lure of short ecstasy empties
the pockets of the hardworking Filipinos and places them at a high risk
of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases," Bae told Ramirez. Moreover,
the Korean said some of the Filipinos who get unusually drunk sometimes
are involved in crimes like public disturbance and injuries to fellow seafarers.
Thus, Ramirez said, Capt. Bae offered the use of his office
as a meeting place for Filipino seafarers on port call in Pusan. Aside
from the amenities of a meeting place, complete with lounge facilities,
the center also offers more than 4,000 video tapes with titles ranging
from classic to modern American movies, including Asian productions. Seafarers
can borrow the tapes free if they are crew of liners making regular
port calls in Pusan.
"Those who make their port call to Pusan only once because
they are onboard trumping vessels, they can purchase the tapes at only
$1 per copy," Ramirez announced, adding that the center will now also serve
as a distribution center of the globally-circulated Filipino seafarers'
newspaper, Tinig ng Marino.
"Aside from these amenities, the center also offers hassle-free
shopping with factory-priced shoes and apparel, including leather products
and other accessories," he said.
On the second day of Ramirez's visit, he and his wife
Marilyn paid a call on the Federation of Korean Seafarers' Union, an ITF
affiliate, where he met with Gim Sang Gi, the federation's director for
international affairs. Gi, is also an accredited ITF inspector.
Likewise, the Ramirez couple met Capt. B.K. Lee, president
of the Korea Marine Officers' Association, where he had an extensive "sharing
of notes" on the life of Filipino and Korean seafarers.
At the Korea Special Seafarers' Union, the UFS president
met three of the union's key officials, president Capt. Dong-Sig Bang,
manager Young-Hun Park and international department manager Seong-Yong
Park. Like his visit to the KMOA, Ramirez also had a fruitful discussion
with the three officials who promised to extend assistance to Filipino
seafarers "needing help while in Pusan."
When Ramirez visited the Korea Marine Officers' Association,
he discussed possible areas of cooperation and exchange with managing director
J.T. Lim, who expressed willingness to collaborate with UFS in the advancement
of marine officer skills and competencies.
Taking full advantage of his five-day visit, Ramirez and
Capt. Bae also went to the Korean Maritime Law Council and had an extensive
discussion on admiralty law with Capt. K.S. Lee. Ramirez asked the Korean
maritime official for ways of collaboration and assistance regarding legal
problems that may confront Filipino seamen while in South Korea. He said
he was assured by Capt. Lee that the areas of cooperation will shortly
be worked out and a line of communication established between UFS and KMLC.
On the third day of Ramirez's visit, the formal launching
of the UFS office in Pusan, South Korea, was held. It was attended by a
virtual who's who in the maritime community of Pusan. Among the guests
were Dae Heung Marine Co. Ltd. President D.K. Sin, Saehan Marine Co. Ltd.
super-intendent Jang Ik Ahn, Sejin Marine Co. Ltd. deputy manager Seok-Un
Han, A Sung Marine Engineering Services Co. Ltd. president Kim Jong-Eok,
Kim & Ko Salvage Co. Ltd. director M.R. Jung, Orient Marine Service
Co. Ltd. managing director Y.D. Kim, Daeryung Marine Co. director and Port
Capt. Ju Yong-Seock, and the Filipino crew of M/V Carina Star, Liberty
Star, Star Island, Bonny Star, Liberty Spirit and Hanoi Glory.
"The opening of Pusan UFS office is another breakthrough
in the history of the union that started as a ragtag group of seafarers
bonded by a common objective and guided by a shared vision on how to uplift
the condition of the Filipino seafarer," Ramirez told guests during the
brief program.
He also recalled how "it all started with an empty milk
carton carried on our shoulders at the Luneta Park, with nothing but our
loud and imposing voices trying to convince fellow seafarers of the principles
by which the UFS was organized."
In conclusion, Ramirez disclosed that plans are afoot
for the establishment of a UFS office in Vladivostok in Russia. "We hope
to achieve this goal before the year ends," he told the crowd as he announced
that former Russian second officer Kovalev Olez, also know as Alex, will
be laying the groundwork for the creation of the UFS Vladivostok office
which will be located at Vityaz Co., Ltd., Strelnikova St., First Flr.
of the First Tort Area, Berth No. 9, Vladivostok.
The Pusan, South Korea, office is located at Northwest
Marine Service Co., Ltd., Rm. 101, Dae Jeong Bldg., 1162 Cho-Ryang Samdung,
Dong-gu, Pusan, telephone no. (051) 464-4577, fax no. (051) 415-3714. --
JEFF DONALD BATES |
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Tel. No.: 4290702 |
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