Philippines Opens 3 More Ports 9 Shift Centers in Total 700,000 Filipino Seafarers Have Become More Competitive
Apr 27, 2022
As the COVID-19 pandemic has entered its third year, the shift of seafarers has been confronted with continuous challenges due to the varying and diversified standards of epidemic prevention and control in countries and ports around the world. So, every time which port implements feasible shift policy, can let the industry see the dawn.
End of march, the maritime and port authority of Singapore (MPA) of a paper on seafarers' shift circular (maritime port circular 6) means that the Singapore on the issue of seafarers' shift "compromise", although may face various problems in practical operation, but the sailors shift did more than a viable port, this makes the industry.
The Philippines, the world's largest supplier of seafarers, has been trying to build a seafarer shift hub since the COVID-19 outbreak, announcing the opening of six ports as a global seafarer shift hub last year. On April 25, the Philippines announced the re-opening of three ports as ports for the transfer of seafarers -- bringing the total number of centres activated in the country to nine.
Three more, Philippine Seaman shift Centers, up from six to nine
On 25 April, the Department of Transport (DOTr) said it had established three new shift centres for seafarers at key Philippine ports and terminals, namely Zamboanga, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa.
With the opening of the new seafarer shift hub, the Philippines now has nine active seafarer shift centers, including the previous hubs in Manila, Bataan, Davao, Batangas, Subic and Cebu, in addition to the newly opened three.
According to the Philippine Department of Transport, during the COVID-19 pandemic, DOTr is committed to setting up an international Seafarers Shift Center to facilitate the processing of documents required for seafarers to board and disembark in order to enable the shift of seafarers in the country and facilitate the successful shift of seafarers from other countries in the Philippines.
According to the DOTr, the three newly activated Seamen shift centres were activated on March 14, March 21 and April 8, 2022 respectively.
Philippine seamen shift center is composed of DOTr and affiliated government agencies, including: transportation safety office, the port authority, the Philippines cebu port authority, the coast guard, the maritime industry, the ministry of health and quarantine bureau, bureau of customs, immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseas workers welfare organizations, overseas employment administration, civil defence office and provincial and local government units.
The Philippines has 700,000 of the world's 1.9 million international seafarers
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Maritime Transport Report 2021 also shows that the number of seafarers in the world in 2021 was 1,892,720, and the top five international seafarers suppliers in the world were: The Philippines, Russia, Indonesia, China and India -- these five countries together account for 44 percent of the world's seafarers, and that share is growing.
According to the report, there are about 1.9 million international seafarers around the world, of which about 700,000 Filipinos are deployed on ships flying their own or foreign flags. That means more than a quarter of the world's seafarers on merchant ships are from the Philippines.
