Drilon warns: EU ban to displace 80,000 Pinoy seafarers

MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Franklin Drilon expressed his concern that at least 80,000 Filipino seafarers could lose their jobs unless the country is able to comply with international standards on the training and certification of seafarers.

Drilon cited reports coming from the European Union (EU) that a ban on Filipino seafarers on board EU-flagged vessels is being considered because of the unsatisfactory and incomplete compliance by the country to the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, as amended, or the STCW Convention.    

“I am informed that around 80,000 Filipino workers will eventually lose their jobs if such a ban is implemented by the European Union,” Drilon said.

“Worse, if other countries follow the EU’s move, at least 300,000 more workers around the globe and their families would lose their precious livelihood,” he added.

In order to ensure the country’s compliance with the STCW Convention, Drilon is pushing for the immediate passage of a bill strengthening the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), which he filed and sponsored.

Senate Bill 2043, which is being debated in plenary, seeks to make the MARINA as the single maritime administration in the country, tasked with overseeing the training and certification of Filipino seafarers, and ensuring that these follow international standards based on the STCW Convention.

Drilon said that the bill requires immediate legislative attention so that the country would “fully avoid the socio-economic consequences of a blacklist by the European Union to our maritime workers.” 

According to Drilon, any sanction imposed by the EU and other nations would have an adverse impact on the economy as well.

“The country will lose billions of pesos from sea-based workers remittances which have aided the economy by fueling domestic consumption and preventing foreign exchange instability, said Drilon while noting that seafarers’ remittances reached nearly $5 billion in 2012.

He argued that the bill would also benefit the Filipino seafarers because it would bring about an improvement in their skills and competitiveness.

“It is high time that we protect the welfare of the thousands of Filipino seafarers around the world. Our seafarers have better skills, character and education than many workers from other nations. We have to make sure that our policies match their excellence, in order to harness their full potential,” Drilon said.