eMagazine
Vol.1
Issue 12 5
TIM TIM
eMagazine
Vol.1
Issue
Nicon F. Fameronag, former DOLE Undersecretary for Employment and Enterprise Competitiveness, now President of the Lilac Center for
Public Interest (third from left) emphasizes a point about Filipino seafarers at the recent Tapatan sa The Aristocrat Media Forum, while
other guests that included OWWA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac (fifth from right) Atty. Maximo J. Banarez, Jr., Legal Service Director
of MARINA (fourth from the right) Capt. Rodolfo Estampador of the Maritime Services and Management Inc. (2nd from right), and Melo
Nicon
F. Fameronag, former DOLE Undersecretary for Employment and Enterprise Competitiveness,
Acuna, Tapatan sa The Aristocrat Forum host, listen
now President of the Lilac Center for Public Interest (third from left) emphasizes a point about
Filipino seafarers at the recent Tapatan sa The Aristocrat Media Forum, while other guests that
included OWWA Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac (fifth from the right) Atty. Maximo J. Bañarez, Jr.,
Legal Service Director of MARINA (fourth from the right), Capt. Rodolfo Estampador of the Maritime
Services and Management Inc. (2nd from right), and Melo Acuña, Tapatan sa The Aristocrat Forum
host, listen.
seafarers.
“We are not paying much attention to the education and
training of our seafarers,” Capt. Estampador said, explaining that our
seafarers could not progress to officers’ positions as fast because
international maritime standards require a full-year seaborne
training and Philippine maritime training schools don’t own vessels
in which seafarers could train.
“Because of the short duration of seafarers’ contracts—from
only six months to nine months at sea, at the most—our seafarers
lack the seaborne experience required by international maritime
standards. We should remedy this gap,” Estampador said.
Fameronag said nothing short of an education and training
roadmap for Filipino seafarers is needed, as he urged the
government to take the lead in ensuring that Filipino seafarers are
adequately trained.
“Perhaps, a “K-12” program for seafarers is needed,” he
said, noting that the Philippines should heed the Baltic and
International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the world’s largest shipping
association, and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS),
which have recommended the promotion of careers at sea and the
improvement of the levels of recruitment and retention for maritime
manning countries to cope with today’s maritime challenges.
“This is the only way for the Philippines to be able to take
advantage of the expected shortfall of officers of 147,500 by 2025 to
service the world merchant fleet,” he said.
The BIMCO/ICS has reported that the current shortfall of officers
stands at 2.1 percent, or 16,500 officers, saying that some officer
categories, such as engineer officers at management level and
officers needed for specialized ships such as chemical, LNG and LPG
carriers, are in dire shortage.
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