SQUEEZING OUT EVERY BUCK A Seafaring Dilemma

MARITIME FEATURE

words by: MDPN. JAN CHRISTIAN L. CATILO illustration by: RODERICK GUERRERO GALAM

“Hush now, this too shall pass.” A gentle, yet nerving whisper of prayer can be heard in a corner of a steel cabin. Though being a big man with a chubby belly, well-built forearms, and broad shoulders, Third Officer Lozada knelt and prayed in a portrait of Christ, gripping the rosary tightly in one hand while pleading and asking for miracles to subdue the harsh storm. After praying, he stood up and directed the helmsman and passed safely away from the North Atlantic Ocean.

‘Third Officer Chris Tomas Lozada’. This is written under his portrait in his room way back in the Philippines as his pregnant wife worries inside about his safety as soon as she got informed that her husband’s ship is encountering a storm. After five days, Mr. Lozada is set to go home as soon as the dock in Florida, USA. The timing of his repatriation is perfect as his wife’s due date is near, and she is ready to give birth to their healthy son.

The weather calmed as his prayers worked. Mr. Lozada is set to go home with his other crewmates safe and sound. Maybe God gave him a favor this time around as he will encounter and sort out more troubling stuff back home. In a span of three months, he needs to process so much paperwork and attend numerous training sessions for his next promotion, all the while enjoying his very short vacation.

“We seafarers feel like we’re being milked by training centers because they think we’re always willing to spend and abide by their rules. But we don’t have much of a choice.”

But one thing shocked Mr. Lozada. A training he heard that had been taken away before had been reinstated and will now be a compulsory training course that he will take before being certified for promotion. A 45-day Management Level Course (MLC) for officers required by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) will take up the majority of his vacation time rather than spending it with his wife and newborn son.

MLCs are training courses for Filipino seafarers who want to advance in rank. Deck and engine officers both take them. They are part of the training and certification process for Filipino seafarer officers who would be in charge of ship management (Captain/Master, Chief Mate, Second Officers, etc.). This intensifies as more stories about how and why seafarers regard these training and refresher courses as “unnecessary” become louder.

“MLCs are such a hassle. It’s not just about the 40 thousand pesos that will be spent for only one training but also about the time that it will take to process and take up the course. We, seafarers, feel like we’re being milked by our government and training centers because they think we are always willing to spend and abide by their rules. But the truth is, we don’t have much of a choice. Authorities get

what they want,” Mr. Lozada said. While authorities like MARINA may argue that this is required for Filipinos to be on par with European Standards and be certified to do so on any seagoing vessels, it contradicts the views of maritime education advocate Capt. Edgardo Flores. He stated that MLC had always been in the curriculum and should not be brought back to strain the seafaring workforce again.

“Management level education must be included in our BSMT and BSMarE programs and the findings were addressed to the Commission on Higher Education in education, not as training. If MLC will be reimposed as education and training, what is the purpose? Will it be a retroactive education since senior officers have already graduated with their BS education or a redundant education for financial gain?” Capt. Flores said.

Seafarers admit that they have no choice but to follow MARINA’s policy decisions, regardless of how they feel about the MLC. This sense of being neglected and forced to submit or just comply generates resentment towards the institutions that are supposed to look after them.

As a result, MARINA is pressured to do all possible means to provide legitimate training courses that respect the dignity and professionalism of seafarers.

Putting an end to the inconsistencies and profiteering that have made MLCs and other training courses such a blight and burden on sailors’ life. Seafarers prefer to work together with the agency, as it makes the process easier and all they have to do is comply with the requirements needed, as the convention abides by International standards.

PH Seafarers Training

Independent evaluators identified 15 instances of noncompliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). The Philippine maritime industry is “taking corrective measures” to address such issue. This is in addition to the 23 complaints following an audit by the European Maritime Safety Agency, which examines conformity with European Union rules.

Should the Philippines be left off the list, this could have an effect on the employment of more than 600,000 Filipino seafarers worldwide and, consequently, the global marine industry.