President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has assured Filipino seafarers of his administration’s full support for their continuous training and skills development.
On the eve of the Day of the Seafarer celebrated every June 25, Marcos acknowledged the Filipinos’ significant contributions to the local and global economies.
“Ang industriyang ito ay kailangang suportahan upang mapanatili ang kalidad ng pagkilala sa buong mundo. Training, certification at ibang compliances, wala akong duda sa kakayahan ng ating mga seafarer (This industry needs support to sustain their global competitiveness. I believe in our seafarers’ competence, as they comply with the training, certification, and other requirements they have to meet),” he said in his weekly vlog uploaded on his official Facebook page Saturday.
“Suportahan natin ang ating mga sea-based OFW na tinatawag. Ang bagong Pilipino, nakikipagsabayan sa pandaigdigang entablado. Saludo po sa ating mga seafarer (Let us support our so-called sea-based OFWs [overseas Filipino workers]. The modern Filipinos can compete in the international stage. Salute to our seafarers),” Marcos added.
For 2023, the International Marine Organization’s campaign focuses on the seafarers’ contribution to protecting the marine environment.
Marcos hailed the Filipino seafarers for dominating the global seafaring industry with their talent, skills, diligence, politeness, and fluency in English.
The Philippines remains the top provider of seafarers for both officers and ratings, across all departments, aboard merchant cargo vessels, according to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development 2021 study.
An estimated 489,852 Filipino seafarers were deployed in 2022, constituting around 25 percent of the world’s mariners.
Filipino seafarers remitted USD6.54 billion in 2021 from USD6.353 billion in 2020, or an increase of 3 percent.
In March, the European Commission dropped the impending ban that would have affected some 50,000 Filipino mariners after the Philippine government addressed the concerns raised by the European Maritime Safety Agency on the quality of training of Filipino seafarers. (PNA)