ICMA AND FAMILIARIZATION OF THE CULTURE OF FILIPINO SEAFARERS

background and other institutions in the Filipino maritime sector so as to better serve them.

Some of the members organizations of ICMA include Stella Maris, Mission to Seafarers, Sailor Society, German Seemannsmission, among others.

Lectures were given by seasoned academicians, government representatives and maritime stakeholders along with familiarization tours in Intramuros, Quiapo, dormitories and centers.

I delivered a lecture on the protection of seafarers’ rights dealing with legal issues on disability and death benefits due to illness or accidents as well as illegal dismissal, nonpayment or underpayment of salaries and wages and illegal recruitment.

It is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every four to five crew on board a vessel at any time.

The sea-based sector’s remittance comprises at least 22 percent of the total dollar OFW remittances.

Data from the website of the

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed the fluctuation in seafarers’ dollar remittances.

The data noted US$6,870,827,000 in 2017; US$6,139,512,000 in 2018; US$6,539,246,000 in 2019; US$6,353,522,000 in 2020; US$ 6,545,002,000 in 2021; and US$6,715,880,000 in 2022.

From the BSP records since 2017, the sea-based sector’s remittances increased in 2018 by US$731,315,000, then increased in 2019 by US$399,734,000, then decreased in 2020 by US$185,724,000, then increased in 2021 by US$191,480,000, and increased again in US$170.878,000.

In 2022, total OFW remittances amounted to US&32,539,430.00 where US$25,823,550,000 are from land based workers while US$6,715,880,000 are from deployed seafarers.

In terms of deployment, the records from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) show that the total number of seafar- ers deployed overseas reached 376,663 in 2017; 337,502 in 2018; 507,730 in 2019; 217,233 in 2020; and 345, 517 in 2021.

Blogger Fred Uno of MarineCafe.com pointed out in an article that Filipino seafarers are being shortchanged in the conversion of their dollar remittances to pesos as he described such practice as “thievery” in the maritime industry.

Some unscrupulous manning agencies shave off at least one or two pesos from the foreign exchange rate, misleadingly calling the cut as “service charges.”

Some manning agents keep part of the remittances when converting the money to pesos by using an exchange rate that is usually one or two pesos lower than the official BSP rate.

Such tampering with the dollar-to-peso rate, he added, results to the shortchanging of Filipino seafarers since their families receive less than they should in allotments.

These practices are clearly contrary to the letter and spirit of the POEA contract, which says that facilitation by the manning agency of allotments shall be “at no expense to the seafarer, and that “allotments shall be paid to the designated allottee in Philippine currency at the rate of exchange indicated in the credit advice of the local authorized Philippine bank.”

“The seafaring worldview is presupposed by the expression “We’re in the same boat.” Whatever their nationality, religion, culture, gender or ethnic origin might be, they realize that deep within, people are basically the same. Wherever they embark from and disembark at, they are bound to meet other seafaring people like themselves,,” says Bishop Ambo David, president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

(Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA

HOW WIDE WAS UYANGUREN STREET?

Who would have thought that the width of a city street in Davao would become part of a case that eventually reached the Supreme Court?

In 1953, the government supposedly widened Uyanguren Street (now Magsaysay Ave-nue), from 10 meters to 15 meters after a big fire hit the area on December 1, 1952, razing to the ground seven blocks and displacing, according to news reports, 10,000 people. The prop-erty affected belongs to the heirs of former Davao City mayor Leon Garcia Sr. who filed cases for payment.

On June 22, 1960, the heirs filed two separate petitions with the Office of the Auditor General for the payment of portions of lands taken and used by the government.

One claim was filed by Mrs. Milagros vda. de Garcia, solely for herself, for payment amounting to P190,240.00 covering a land area of 2,378 square meters at P80.00 per square meter. The other claim was filed by Milagros vda. de Garcia including her children and it asked for P161,942.40 as payment for 2,024.28 square meters at P80.00 per square meter.

Overall, the total area purportedly taken by the government was 4,402.28 square meters.

To establish the claims, the Garcia family presented copies of transfer certificates of titles (TCTs) showing the description of their properties and the width of Uyanguren Street as only 10 meters, including a photostatic copy of a map showing the general condition of the street before 1953, the affidavits of some residents of Davao City, and proofs of payment of realty taxes.

Moreover, the Garcia family also presented a document executed by Yee Dock Kiu and Yee Tock Sum dated January 19, 1953, giving the city a road right of way on their property ostensibly for the reconstruction of Uyanguren Street. It was signed by the mayor of Davao City instead of the director of public highways.

For their part, the city engineer, the commissioner of public highways, and the undersec-retary of Public Works and Communications opposed the claims, saying that Uyanguren Street had already existed with its standard 15-meter width since its construction before 1918.

To deal with the position of the claimants, the government presented documents, namely:

(i) Resolution No. 25 of the Davao City Appraisal Committee, dated December 7, 1960, showing the street was made prior to World

War II with its present standard width of 15 me-ters; (ii) official communications showing the building permits issued as early as 1946 is 7.50 meters from the road center, the same building line before the war; (iii) documents and offi-cial papers attesting that Uyanguren Street has been in existence since before the year 1918; and (iv) the indorsement of the city engineer of Davao, dated August 6, 1963, attesting there has been no change of alignment in any section of the road nor was there any widening ever made since the last World War.

Consequently, the auditor-general denied the two claims on May 15, 1964.

Dissatisfied with the outcome, the Garciasfiled their motion for reconsideration and sup-plemental motion for reconsideration dated October 26, 1964 and No- vember 17, 1964, re-spectively, which were similarly denied on October 10, 1966.

Expectedly, the ruling of the General Auditing Office was contested and it reached the Supreme Court which, in its March 17, 1975, ruling, argued:

“The facts upon which the Auditor General based his decision or ruling against the peti-tioners are clear and incontrovertible. We have read and re-read the records of the case and this Court cannot find any flaw in the findings of fact of the Auditor General to warrant nul-lification of his decision. As borne out by the records of the case, his findings are supported by evidence substantial enough to adequately support his conclusion.”

The decision appealed was affirmed without special pronouncement as to costs.

HEALTH... FROM 2 US... FROM 2

check-up and ensure that Filipinos shall be accorded the quality health care services that they deserve.

“Investing in free medical checkups for every Filipino will help save lives and ensure that no one gets left behind when it comes to health care,” Duterte said.

Section 4 of the bill mandates PhilHealth to establish a system that allows access to a free annual medical check-up and ensures that Filipinos shall be accorded the quality of health care services that they deserve.

He added that not only that the bill will capacitate every Filipino to detect early potentially serious

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Initiative is already out of the table because based on the previous discussions masyadong, is almost impossible, logistically impossible, and budget constraints as well. Between the Con-Con and the ConAss, my personal belief is we should opt for the Constitutional Convention. Why? Because in Con-Con we have the participation of the people whereas when we say Con-Ass, it just the Congress and for me, the process of the proposing amendment to the constitution is it will be a big part of the history,” she said.

Arias, who is among the panelists during the public hearing, said at the very onset, there should be people’s participation in proposing amendments.

“How can we participate? Of course, in ConCon people will vote for who will delegate to the Con-Con. Why also ConCon? Because we have to

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DOTr, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the DBM.

Beneficiaries will be validated and identified by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), the DBM said.

On the other hand, the agency said P1 billion is appropriated to

DA ... FROM 4

DA-AMAS and DA Regional Field Office III-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division provided logistical assistance to Valiant Primary Multi-Purpose Cooperative (VPMPC) and the Bagong Pag-asa Multi-purpose Cooperative, both based in Bongabon, which is an onion-producing municipality,” the DA said.

The DA said it has transported thousands of kilograms of red and white onions to several areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces from Feb. 22 to 24.

“A total of 4,260 kilograms of red onion and medical conditions but it will also benefit Philhealth because it will reduce the expense of paying for coverage of pricey medical procedures that are frequently associated with treating life-threatening diseases. put some sense or some level of integrity in the process of proposing amendments. Why? Because let’s face it the people has a certain level of distrust in the politicians kahit ngayon nga masyado nang maugong why would the Congress be the one to propose amendments, that is why if we have people’s participation we can have a certain level of integrity to the process of proposing the amendment,” she added. provide fuel assistance to farmers and fisherfolk. in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City that the transfer of equipment “underscores the increasingly strong relationship between the United States and the Philippines as friends, partners, and allies.”

According to the statement, under the bill, Filipinos can avail the free medical checkups in any government-run hospital or medical institution.

“On top of free cholesterol and blood sugar tests, the three lawmakers also proposed the inclusion of expanded laboratory and diagnostic tests in the free annual medical checkup benefit “subject to the availability of Philhealth funds,” it said.

The hearing was also attended by officials and representatives including the business chambers, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), tourism sector, and the National Economic and Development Authority 11 (NEDA 11).

Participating online were Senator Francis Tolentino and former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco B. Belgica.

The amount was earmarked to provide fuel subsidies to more than 312,000 farmers and fisherfolk with P3,000 per beneficiary, to ensure unimpeded agricultural production and fishing operations, according to the DBM.

610 kg of white onion were delivered to the L. Sanchez Farm, Batangas City Rural Improvement Club Marketing Cooperative, Ridad Integrated Farm, Agripreneur Farmers and Producers Association, as well as to market vendors of Guadalupe market and Las Pinas City public market,” it said.

Besides easing the transport situation for farmers, the move also intends to lower the actual market price by eliminating the unreasonable markup usually incurred between the farmgate and retail price.

“This year, the United

DAVAO... FROM 2

sister city relationship we have with Jinjiang City in the People’s Republic of China is one of the most important partnerships the city has.”

“Over the years, this resulted in many programs and collaborations that benefitted both Davao and Jinjiang. And today’s Signing of the Agreement is a clear manifestation that the relationship between the two cities continues to grow,” Dayap said.

Apart from the Framework Agreement, two more agreements were signed between high-ranking business executives from Jinjiang and local organizations and companies here in Davao.

A Memorandum of Collaborating and Facilitating the Resumption of Davao Flight was signed between Xiamen Airlines and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc (DCCCII). The

CITY... FROM 3

cal government of Davao City to create an internationally competitive image of Davao, opening doors to sustainable development and progress, as well as enhancing safety within the Central Business District,” said Velasco in his message.

He said because of the city government of Davao’s directive to the utility companies with overhead lines to place all electrical, telecommunication, and internet wires and cables, DLPC, along with the other utility companies in coordination with the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) commenced the

SLIGHT... FROM 10

States has invested more than Php 276 million ($5 million) to provide specialized training and equipment to the PNP in the areas of explosive ordnance disposal, crisis response, digital forensics, investigations, and intelligence fusion,” she said.

document was signed by Xiamen Airlines Quanzuo Branch General Manager Mr. Hu Bin and DCCII Executive Vice-President Ms. Belinda Torres.

A Project Cooperation Framework Agreement between Anta and SM was also signed by Anta Southeast Asia President Mr. Wang Huayou and Shopping Center Management Corp. President Mr. Steven Tan.

The signing of the agreements was also witnessed by city officials including Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on International Relations Chair Councilor Javi Campos and City Information Office Officer-In-Charge Mr. Harvey Lanticse. Campos, in his opening speech, said that he is hopeful that the visit of the delegation from Jinjiang will open more opportunities and collaborations. CIO works in burying wires and cables underground in the key areas of the city.

DLPC started the underground cabling works at San Pedro Street in March 2021.

Meanwhile, Fermin Edillon, head of reputation department of DLPC, said the company is targeting to complete the underground cabling at Magsaysay Avenue next year.

“Ongoing ang underground cabling about 45 percent complete na, which means limpyo and hapsay na ang dalan,” he said. By Maya M. Padillo

TRANSSHIPMENT... FROM 5

agement Sdn Bhd, said the vessel would be loading a consignment of 125 tons of sugar and 112.5 tons of rice for the southern Philippine market, referring to Mindanao.

Idjan said the consignments are owned by New Quality Diamond.

“Depending on the weather condition, the second kumpit will be arriving in one week to load the same consignment,” Bernama quoted Tahir as saying.

MinDA, the Philippines’ coordinating office for the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines – East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP–EAGA), shared on its Facebook page the Bernama report.

Barter trade exchanges between Labuan and Mindanao were halted in 2016 after four decades of operation, Bernama reported.

Rithuan said that Labuan Corp. fully backed

Kim Tae Soo to shoot 112 and 225 overall. Other scorers were Kim Tae Won 28, Young Sook Kim 27, and Beejay Chua 21. Forest Hills matched Alabang’s output to stay in third place with 224.

74th PAL Men’s Interclub Day 2 complete scores

Championship – Manila Southwoods 274(141133), Eastridge 262(127135), Cebu 256(126-130), Del Monte 240(113-127), Valley Golf 237(116121), Tagaytay Highlands 232(119-113), Pueblo de Oro 212(111-101), Sta Elena 202(114-88)

Founders – Alabang 233(120-113), The Orchard 225(113-112), Forest Hills 224(111-113), Riviera 219(114-105), Wack Wack 215(107-108), Villamor Air Base212(110102), Camp Aguinaldo 211(120-91), Negros Occidental 210(116-94), Southern California Redhawks 208(109-99), Team Brookside 200(99-103), Camp John Hay 200(99101), Apo 189(90-99), Aviator – Alta Vista 217(101-116), Cebu Country Golf 2 209(96-113), Zamboanga 203(101-102), Summit Point 197(94103), Manila 196(95-103), Eagle Ridge 194(86-108), Sherwood Hills 191(9794), Britanikka 1 184(79105), Rancho Palos Verdes 174(76-98), Tagaytay Midlands 174(76-98), Fairways and Bluewater 170(79-91), Up Tee Jots 167(82-85), Lumbia 157(65-92), FilAm Fairway 1 152(68-84), Guinhalaran 149(72-77), Bacolod 147(61-86), Golden Gate 144(73-71), Fil Am

FLOOD... FROM 3

will be providing food for the victims for a week.

In addition, the Kalusugan Food Truck, a program of the OVP that seeks to help children suffering from malnutrition, hunger, and poor development, continues to serve as the mobile food kitchenis now in the two fire-affected areas in Davao City.

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Hawaii 144(71-73), Fil Am Fairfield 143(54-89), Iligan 142(63-81)

Sportwriters – Club

Filipino Inc de Cebu 194(102,92), Davao 183(105-78), Sarangani 181(85-96), Seattle 178(75-103), Camp Evangelista 176(94-82), South Cotabato 171(83-88), West Highland 167(81-86), The Firm Eagle Ridge 166(8185), Filam LA Team 1 165(86-79), Negros Intl 158(80-78), Leyte 157(9463), South Pacific Davao 156(77-79), San Juanico 146(71-75), Lanang 144(72-72), Filipino Golfer in the Middle East Dubai 139(98-41), Silicon Valley Golfers Link 136(59-77), MSU Golf & Country Club Marawi 1 125(66-59), PGA British Columbia 113(6657), Pearl Kai Hawaii 90(55-35), Yokohama Eagles 76(44-320, Friendship – Alta Vista 171(81-90), Apo 151(80-71), Eagle Ridge Lagitek 142(80-62), Liloan 141(62-81) Davao City Team B 141(71-70), Edwin Andrews Air Base 141(6576), Van City 141(75-66), Veterans 131(66-67), Paraiso Golf Players Association Team B 124(68-58), Greenhills West 121(6162), Cotabato 119(49-70), Baguio 114(59-55), Filipino Golfers in the Middle East UAE 113(58-55), Mt Malindang 104(5549), Green Tee Club Riyadh 103(52-51), Paraiso Golf Players Association 95(35-60), UAE Filgolfers 87(41-46), Fil-Am Golf of Sacramento 84(40-44), Caaga 79(45-34), Fil Oz Sydney 28(16-12)

At least 623 families from Barangay 21-C and 360 families from Barangay 22-C have been identified by the city social welfare office as internally displaced. The affected residents are seeking temporary shelter at the Barangay 21-C gymnasium and Barangay 22-C covered court, respectively. (PNA) the revival of the transshipment activity.

“We have done our part in making sure the transshipment activity is revived and running smoothly. Labuan needs to diversify its industry to boost its economy, and local authorities will do their part to facilitate,” Bernama quoted Rithuan as saying.

Tawi-Tawi is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). It is being positioned as BARMM’s gateway to the BIMP-EAGA with the servicing of the Cotabato–Tawi-Tawi direct flight last year. Cotabato is the seat of power of the Bangsamoro government.

BIMP-EAGA was formed in 1994 with the goals of promoting trade, investment and tourism in the less-developed states and provinces of the sub-economic grouping.

“victims of economies of scale” and are unable to compete with large corporate bakeries.

Chavez said big baking corporations, some of which are foreign owned, are able to bulk purchase raw materials at preferential prices.

“Small bakeries cannot price themselves out of the competition despite their higher cost for the same raw mate-

APEC... FROM 5

the same period last year, when these expanded by 14.4 percent and 16.1 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the value of merchandise trade exports and imports grew by 14.5 percent, showing greater resilience due to the relatively high energy prices in 2022, driven in turn by supply shocks.

rials, so they are forced to moderate their price increases to the point of only breaking even,” he added.

But Eastern Petroleum chairperson Fernando Martinez said there is reason to be optimistic because of recent developments in the world petroleum market, which is reportedly the origin of world inflationary pressures.

“We expect a modest growth of trade volumes in APEC this year following the slowdown in global demand,” Kuriyama said.

In contrast, commercial services trade performed better in 2022, with exports and imports growing by 13 percent and 15.6 percent respectively in the second quarter of last year.