A WEB page enabling workers to gain rapid access to essential information about their health and safety rights and responsibilities has been set up by the Health and Safety Executive.

The "workers’ webpage" http://www.hse.gov.uk/ workers
- covers the roles and responsibilities of employers and employees, as well as issues such as ‘whistle-blowing’ and reporting accidents.

The regional consultation in Cebu
 
 

THE main issues, concerns and recommendations raised during the Regional Consultation in Cebu have already been captured in the “statement of concerns” written and discussed by AOS Philippines – and they have been voiced out by Fr. Jack Walsh. Thus – 

Basically, we are calling for the creation of a Department of Maritime Affairs and we are calling for a continuous protection of seafarers and their families, especially by providing seafarers with a pension plan. 

I was not in Cebu during the Regional Consultation. For 3 months, I was called to replace the AOS Chaplain in Hong Kong and the task of my mission there was to visit ships at anchorage or the terminal containers. I have visited more than 300 ships during this period. 

From the other side of the South China Sea in Hong Kong, we can observe many things that give us the right perspective and proper context for our concerns and decisions for a “magna carta” for Filipino seafarers. 

Let me share with you the letter I received from a Filipino captain I visited on his tanker and to whom I announced this coming convention:

“Let me start by the rosy prints you read from the POEA and other government agencies that development of Filipino seafarers is an all time high and still growing, is it? Well, guess what, that is a blatant LIE! 

“Look around you, in manning agencies in Manila, at Luneta, and most of all, on board ships and even with conversation to foreign pilots, or seamen’s clubs in other countries, and you will find out that we are slowly being replaced by the other nationalities. In fact, more and more Filipino seafarers are finding difficulty in going back to sea or are taking longer to do so. Why? Because job opportunities are getting fewer as job vacancies intended for Filipinos are being given to other nationalities like Chinese, Russians, East Europeans, etc… Is that so? Well, try to check it out with big manning agencies in Manila, or from the seafarers waiting in their offices, and reality will hit you in the face.

“Sadlly speaking, it is even happening right in mine too. You know, I’ve been at sea for the last 19 years now and 13 years of those were spent in tankers. We, Filipinos, especially tanker men, (who are the cream of the crop) are very confident that our skills and knowledge will not be equalled or surpassed by other nationalities, but in reality, it is happening and has started. 

“I have officers and crew from China not only on this vessel and I hate to admit it but they are good too. In fact, they are well-disciplined and good too. 

“My vessel is a newly built 50,000 development product tanker with state of the art equipment and as I have observed, they too could operate and run this vessel as we Filipinos could.”

“While we are too confident enough and made little progress on our training and education, they (the Chinese) have acquired and learned by leaps and bounds excellent maritime training and education. And most of all, they have discipline, which most Filipinos lack.

“So, while it’s not too late, we should further improve on our training and education, and inculcate discipline on future seafarers. That way, just  maybe, we could retain the number one spot we have long held and help us fellow seafarers and those aspiring to be one. But if we remain too lazy and our attitude work ethic and self discipline will not improve, sad to say, we are looking on a collapsing and deteriorating industry.”

DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

After 22 years of  sea life experience as electrician and 12 years of presence and activities at the Stella Maris Seafarers’ Center in Cebu, we have become companions of thousands of maritime students. We have followed their dreams and steps from the school level up to the first experiences and struggles at sea. 

In one of the Cebu maritime schools, the director gave related to us the initiative launched at the beginning of this year under the leadership of former Senator Ernesto Herrera.

The name of the initiative is “Jobs Corps,” launched in Malacaòang on January 25, 2002 with an initial batch of 14 maritime schools.

The objective of Jobs Corps is to  develop overseas apprenticeship and training ship program in order for Filipino engineers and deck cadets to gain experience on board sea-going vessels.

However, the sad fact is that our domestic fleet is unable to adequately satisfy this requirement. My question: Why not start the job at home?

There is nothing that can prevent us from availing of shipboard apprenticeship on board overseas vessels. What is only necessary is to get the cooperation of government agencies, ship owners, seamen’s unions and, of course, maritime schools.

So my question is: What are we doing here? Mere palabas, just for show? Is this initiative considered as “stillborn” or mere palabas? 

If there is anybody who has been part of this apprenticeship program, please give us data of your failure success. If there has been a mistake in conceiving or implementing this program, at least, we should be honest enough to learn from our mistakes, or not repeat the same mistakes!

If the convention took the future of this profession seriously, who are the partners in the assembly ready to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA)?

More than ever, the need to develop and sustain a program of apprenticeship is necessary in order to expose students to actual shipboard training. And to ensure sustainability, one must be ready to pay the price of training – like guaranteed training on inter-island and overseas vessels, insurance for the apprentice or some form of protection similar to full-pledged seamen during apprenticeship.

EDITORIAL
Numero Uno!

SOUNDING LEAD
More requirements in the name of STCW ‘95
Capt. Reynold M. Sabay

UGONG NG MAKINA AT IKOT NG ELISI
Nilunok natin, kaya nabilaukan tayo
Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez

SPIRITUAL VOYAGE
The regional consultation in Cebu
Fr. Roland Doriol, S.J.

THE LAW OF SEAFARERS
Facts and figures from the first national seafarers convention
Atty. LeonardoVinz O. Ignacio

VAST HORIZON
I’ve only just begun
C/Engr. Rodolfo B. Virtudazo

AN OPEN LETTER TO
HER EXCELLENCY, 
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

You can now join or start any discussion on seafarer's issues anytime or anywhere you are with
Usapang Marino
(Seafarer's Forum)
at URL: http://www.ufs.ph/discus