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Seafarers came in droves during the maritime exhibit and job fair. (click here for more event photos)

The effort of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) to take the National Maritime Week celebration directly to the Filipino seafarers paid off handsomely and it came in the form of a resounding success for its Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair held at the Seafarers’ Center along T.M. Kalaw Avenue in Manila from September 25-27, 2006.

The event was originally slated for a five-day run but super typhoon Milenyo came on the fourth day and literally crashed the party.

Armed with devastating wind power, the super typhoon left Metro Manila and most of the provinces in Southern Luzon in shambles and complete disarray in less than six hours of displaying its might.

However strong Milenyo was, it was not powerful enough to take away the huge success that the UFS earned for its Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair, the third effort of the labor union in as many years, to pay tribute to the contributions of the Filipino seafarers to the economy and country as a whole during the annual celebration of the National Maritime Week.

While the Seafarers’ Center is an acknowledged congregation site of all Filipino seafarers from practically ‘all walks of life,’ the pioneering initiative of the UFS to hold a first ever maritime exhibit and job fair for Filipino seafarers at the area more than doubled the average daily crowd population of about 2,000. 

The event was such a big draw that one industry stalwart was even quoted to have said: “The event  is certainly  the top-grosser     for  this year’s National Maritime Week celebration. UFS has certainly  set a high standard for the conduct of maritime week activities in the succeeding years. That is quite tough to beat.”

UFS President Nelson P. Ramirez says that the Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair gave him and the UFS the opportunity to ‘go back where they originally came from.’

“The UFS started almost 12 years ago here in this portion of Luneta, which is now known as the Seafarers’ Center, to push for reforms in the maritime industry, fight for the cause and ensure the safe plight of our noble Filipino seafarers,” Ramirez recalled. “We only had a makeshift wooden pushcart as our office back then to entice new members and join our struggle,” he pointed out.

“Now that the UFS has established itself as one of the most formidable and vocal seafarer labor unions in the local maritime industry, we have nurtured an even greater resolve to continue in our effort to champion the cause and rights of Filipino seafarers at all cost. If the UFS was able to withstand the hurdle to its fight in the early goings with less than 10 members, backing down from our present cause is simply next to impossible considering that the organization now has more than 35,000 members,” Ramirez pointed out matter-of-factly.

“Holding a Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair that is intended for the Filipino seafarers and their families here at the Seafarers’ Center is like bringing the candy store to kids and the UFS is so honored to be given the historic opportunity to do so,” cites Ramirez. 

The UFS President openly expressed his gratitude to the Manila City government headed by Mayor Lito Atienza and City Administator Dondon Bagatsing and also to Capt. Gregorio S. Oca of the Associated Marine Officers and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) for allowing the organization to hold the event in the strategic venue and also for the all-out support that they have given UFS during the three-day run of the event.

City Administrator Dondon Bagatsing was in fact the guest of honor during the simple ribbon-cutting rites on September 25, 2006 to formally launch the Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair at the Seafarers’ Center. Apart from the city administrator, the UFS also had ABS-CBN talent Valerie Garcia as celebrity guest during the ribbon-cutting rites and opening program.

After the ribbon-cutting rites, the UFS President along with Kaibigan President Noel Josue and celebrity guest Valerie Garcia toured each exhibit booth where the three of them gamely accommodated photo opportunities with personnel of each exhibitor.

The Event’s Main Fare

With the theme “Dynamic Development in all Sectors of the Maritime Industry,” what served as the event’s main fare during its three-day run were the maritime exhibits and job fair that gave Filipino seafarers, who trooped and came in droves to the area various opportunities to either build on their budding seafaring careers, make wise investment decisions to ensure the future of their families, or plan ahead into the future when some of them will finally hang their seafarer uniforms and start a new life on land.

Serving as sort of appetizers to the main dish during the event is the daily free coffee and snack session for seafarers courtesy of the UFS and various manning agencies and other maritime industry organizations. There were also lively entertainment numbers and on-the-spot contest promos incorporated in the program, which were prepared and handled by Icon Interactive.

Apart from manning agencies offering job prospects to seafarers, several well-meaning maritime entities also joined the event to offer related services to Filipino seamen who may be in need of such. The Sapalo Velez Bundang and Bulilan Law Offices set up a desk to offer paralegal consultation services while the Sagrada Corazon Medical and Allied Services offered basic medical check up to interested seafarers.

Major sponsors to the event that included Globe Kababayan, Filinvest, Philamlife and Banco de Oro were also given their key parts in the daily program to promote their appropriate products and/or services which they make available to Filipino seafarers. 

Consistent with its objective and as part of its continuous effort to reach out and always keep the Filipino seafarers well-informed regarding updates and developments in the local maritime industry, UFS spiced up the program with daily speeches and consultations with Ramirez, other UFS officers, and also several prominent personalities in the maritime industry.

With his booming voice to go with his outspoken and vocal stand on issues, particularly those affecting the welfare and plight of Filipino seafarers, Ramirez was always a top draw among the seafarers in the area when he gets the opportunity to speak. His question-and-answer session with seafarers became one of the most anticipated portions of the daily program during the three-day duration of the event.

Overall, the event was such a resounding success that although it was cut short by two days, hardly anybody – whether they be the sponsors, the exhibitors, the job fair participants, other entities in the maritime industry and most of all, the Filipino seafarers – felt that they left home feeling rear-ended or short-changed by Milenyo.

Simply put, amid the catastrophic devastation wrought by Milenyo in Metro Manila in the days that followed, every individual or entity who took part on the UFS’ Maritime Week Exhibit and Job Fair, went home satisfied of  their participation, as it served its purpose to the maritime industry and most especially, to the Filipino seafarers.

Photo Gallery: more event photos

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