THE good and bad developments in the seafaring industry recently tend to be both in the extremes.
First, the good news. The Philippines was able to record an all-time high deployment of Filipino seafarers in 2023, according to Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
In all likelihood, this record accomplishment was extended during the first half of the year, since there has been normal deployment of maritime personnel and no internal labor constraints have been monitored in the country.
Next, the bad news. The politically motivated terrorism by the Houthi rebels from their land bases in Yemen to their operational flashpoints in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea continues without letup. This has led to great displacement in commercial shipping, as container ships and big cargo vessels skip Egypt’s Suez Canal to evade being victimized by the Houthis in the Red Sea. The rebels are attacking all ships with even remotest ties or relationships to Israel.
‘While Cacdac is happy that the demand for the country’s maritime seafarers continues… the problems and troubles awaiting them at sea also persist.’
The Houthi rebels’ cause is not just to gain more political power and influence inside Yemen, possibly to take over the government itself. But lately, they have been more and more involved in helping their brother Palestinians in Gaza, where the Hamas fighters are still locked in a war with Israel’s security forces. The Houthis’ patron and financier, Iran, is with them in this struggle. Also recently, the United States has been flexing its military muscle in the Middle East, with an eye on Iran itself.
The Philippines may be far from the scenes of battle but is suffering from the war’s consequences, and not just in the fields of diplomacy and foreign relations. Our peace-loving, courageous and industrious seafarers have been harassed, kidnapped, and killed in the Red Sea for just doing their jobs on board ships.
Also, oil tankers and other vessels have to take the long route near the tip of Africa and sail on to the Indian Ocean on their way to Asia, adding much to the travel time, costs of fuel, insurance and labor. These all translate to higher oil prices in the Philippines which, unlike its neighbors Indonesia and Malaysia, does not have its own sources of oil.
While Cacdac is happy that the demand for the country’s maritime seafarers continues — some 500,000 Filipino seafarers are now gainfully employed all over the world — the problems and troubles awaiting them at sea also persist. He said around 30 percent of all local seafarers are still awaiting deployment and thus it has become imperative for the Marcos administration to institute measures to really secure the welfare of all Filipinos working at sea.
We note that Secretary Cacdac gave the assurance his agency is “handholding” the families of seafarers still in the hands of their captors, as directed by the President. He said the Filipino seafarers remain safe and sound, adding the Department of Migrant Workers has been constantly meeting with families of the sailors.
Three Filipino seafarers were on board container ship MSC Aries when it was seized by Iranian authorities in the Red Sea. On the other hand, the vessel Galaxy Leader had 17 Filipino seamen when attacked by the Houthi rebels also in the Red Sea. Other incidents concerning the security of seafarers happened in November last year.
The assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs is also well appreciated, as Cacdac cited the DFA for its unwavering support to ensure the safety of the Filipino seafarers and its closed coordination with Iranian authorities along with the local manning agency as far as the three Filipino seafarers of MSC Aries are concerned.
It is also good to note that the DMW has a P2.8-billion action fund intended for around 88,000 overseas Filipino workers who sought help from the government’s Assistance to National Program, which began in August 2022.
