IVAN REGIS ARCENA BSMT 1- DELTA

PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION DIANA ROSE P. ESMERO

“Modern Truth: The Increasing Rate of Unemployed Filipino Seamen”

The phrase “Travel for free, earn bucks and takes women at every port,” is just a

romanticized notion about Filipino seafarers.

As the maritime industry rapidly expands the population of seafarers also

increasing in numbers. From one of the countries that largely produces seafarers

including ratings and officers, we cannot grasp the fact, that sooner or later we may face

the greatest crisis--the increasing rate of unemployed Filipino seamen.

Local job opportunities for Filipino seafarers were under turmoil as it not setting

the pace of international prospects. From producing thousands of seafarers yet only

hundreds of them were considered lucky, but what about those who are left? Are there

any life rafts that would release them from drowning to unemployment?

The sinking truth about Filipino seafarers in terms of employment was arguably

plausible. Well, records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA)

showed that half of some 400,000 registered seamen are employed in international

vessels. While in the inter-island maritime industry, as said by the Department of Labor

and Employment, some 12,000 are employed however, only 10,000 work full-time.

As a matter of fact, according to United Filipino Seafarers, out of 40, 000

maritime students who graduate yearly, only 4,000 get employed. All these merely

mean that hundreds of thousands of seamen are at any period unemployed. Despite its

maritime global domination, foreign ship-owners continue to choose other countries like

Myanmar, Indonesia, India, and other Eastern European countries because they were

barely expensive than Filipino seamen.

But still, almost 30 percent of the world’s seafarers are Filipino. However, this

claim is misleading because Prime Vertical says that while we have earned the

reputation as the world’s leading provider of experienced and competent seafarers, the

international shipping community continues to ridicule us for having one of the lowest

qualities of maritime education in the world.

 It is ironic that in spite of the hundreds of thousands of graduates ascending from

the ISO certified maritime institutions scattered all over the country, we could not fill up

the worldwide shortage of marine deck and engine officers.

The demand has considerably exceeded the supply, not that we are running

short of seafarers but because there are not enough qualified sailors capable of moving

up the rank to officers or engineers. At this rate, some Filipino seamen are still not able

to get employed because; internationally Filipino seamen were high-priced.

The demand for Filipino seamen was justifiable as it boosts our modern economy

but, despite its supremacy, hundreds of Filipino seamen are still digging for chances

outside T.M. Kalaw in Ermita, Manila or worst giving up from the romanticized notion of

being employed.