25th National Maritime Week kicks off, centers on safety

THE 25th National Maritime Week (NMW) officially kicked off last Sunday, September 22, as ships berthed all over the country simultaneously sounded their horns to mark the beginning of a week-long celebration that honors Filipino seafarers.

With this year’s celebration anchored on safety with a theme “Marinong Filipino: Ligtas na Paglalayag!” the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expressed its commitment to instill the culture of safety in maritime organizations.

“As we embark on this journey together, let us remember that safety is not just a priority — it is a culture. It is our duty to instill this culture within our organizations, ensuring that every seafarer returns home safely after each voyage. This commitment to safety will not only safeguard lives but also inspire the next generation of maritime professionals,” PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan said.

Gavan recognized the contributions of maritime stakeholders in raising the bar for maritime safety standards within the shipping industry.

The NMW 2024 is hosted by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Gavan led the NMW’s opening ceremony at the Philippine Coast Guard Headquarters in Port Area, Manila, which paid tribute to seafarers for their hard work and dedication to their profession.

An Ecumenical Memorial at Sea Service was held last Sunday, September 22, to honor the seafarers who died while on duty. This was followed by the blowing of horns and the dressing up of ships.

The wreath-laying ceremony was led by Gavan and attended by Assistant Secretary for Sea-based OFW Concerns Jerome Pampolina, Stella Maris Manila Port chaplain Fr. Paulo Prigol, and PPA Port Police Department Manager Genaro Mancio Jr., among others.

DMW JOB FAIR Thousand of seafarers wait for their turn to submit documents to manning companies looking to hire during a job fair organized by the DMW at the start of the 25th National Maritime Week on Sept. 22, 2024. PHOTO by WILMAR ALMERIA

The DMW also hosted the “Disenteng Trabaho para sa mga Marinong Filipinos” job fair last Sunday at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, in Pasay City.

The job fair was participated by 35 licensed manning agencies and offered more than 3,000 employment opportunities in the maritime sector.

The local maritime community has also set the stage for week-long activities that recognize Filipino seafarers’ hard work and dedication and showcase the maritime industry’s important contribution to the country’s overall economy.

The 2024 NMW activity line-up includes the Mental Health Awareness and Maritime Safety Conference hosted by the PCG on September 25 and 26, the 14th Boses ng Marino singing contest hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on September 27, Coastal Cleanup and Mangrove Planting on September 28, and the Grand Parade on September 29.

Meanwhile, National Seafarer’s Day (NSD) will be celebrated on Sunday, September 29. It is celebrated every last Sunday of September since 1996 by virtue of Proclamation 1094. It was since headed by Stella Maris-Philippines.

The weeklong activities were co-hosted by government and private maritime groups such as the Department of Transportation (DoTr), Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), DMW, Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (Amosup), and Stella Maris-Manila.

The NMW is annually celebrated since 1996 to support the unrestricted development of the local maritime industry and in response to the need for a strong and outward-looking maritime policy.

Challenges of Filipino seafarers

In a press conference hosted by the PCG for National Seafarer’s Day, maritime leaders and personalities cited some of the challenges encountered by Filipino seafarers while onboard.

Capt. Guillermo Lopez of NSD said piracy threats in high-risk areas and war zones were still prevalent, and several Filipino seafarers had already fallen casualty or captive to the violence and hostility in the area.

“Seafarers have to be vigilant and put into use the good training they have had on handling piracy incidents,” Lopez said.

Chief Engineer Eliza Chomi of Amosup said women were still underrepresented in seafaring. She said women remain a minority onboard, comprising only 2 percent of the seafarer population.

“To be safe as a woman [in a ship full of men], you have to be mindful and secure yourself as well. We also invite all women seafarers to join Amosup-Women so they know who to contact in case of emergencies,” Chomi said.

“Marina is strictly implementing the provisions of the STCW Convention, the international instrument that sets the minimum requirement for training, watchkeeping and certification of our seafarers. For as long as we comply with this, we are ensured that our seafarers and the ships that they command are safe. On the matter of seafarer welfare, we partner with the DMW and actively support the campaign against ambulance chasing,” Luisito de los Santos, planning and policy service director of Marina, said.

Meanwhile, Capt. Jomark Angue, deputy chief of the Coast Guard Staff for Maritime Safety Services, emphasized the importance of shipboard training in ensuring the safety of seafarers.

He said the PCG, along with Marina and the Commission on Higher Education, ensures that Onboard Training for maritime cadets on domestic ships is closely monitored.

“We have a database for this. We ensure that these cadets are given the right training and attention. Every time the PCG is inspecting ships, we also check on the cadets and whether they are doing only the training-related activities,” he said.

Angue also stated that such concerted efforts by the government uphold the country’s status as the number one supplier of seafarers in the world.

“We are monitoring all seafarers in the country regardless of nationality and flag registry of their vessel. The seafarers can also report to us if they have any labor-related issues onboard. We have many success stories in terms of labor-related issues and we treat these with utmost confidentiality,” he added.