Seafarers stage protest vs Marina

MANILA, Philippines – At least 2,000 seafarers and their families gathered at the Maritime Industry Authority along Taft Avenue in Manila Thursday to protest what they described as the Marina’s shortcomings and incompetence.

Members of the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), the group that led the rally, also called on the agency to dismantle its programs, saying they were tainted with corruption.

Susan Ople, chairperson of the OFW Advocates Coalition, joined the protest rally and promised to bring the seafarers’ problems to the attention of the Senate. She is running for a Senate seat under the Nacionalista Party.

According to the protesters, some rules and training programs imposed by the agency are not found in the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

Among the issues they raised are the 90 percent passing score for certain courses; the need to retake licensure examinations if a seafarer was unable to use his license during the last five years; the continued operation of unscrupulous assessment centers; and the required daily journal for cadets.

They said due to these regulations, recent statistics from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration show a decrease in the number of Filipino seamen deployed in 2014 – the first setback in more than five decades, during which the number of seafarers deployed increased by 16 percent each year.

The protesters said the alarming decline is due to the alleged corruption and disorganized system at Marina, which has resulted in the delayed issuance of documents to seafarers.

The UFS said it has received reports that seafarers are losing interest in taking the Marina’s licensure examinations because they are required to take various training courses that cost roughly P100,000.