Feature: Why Filipino seafarers are the most sought after by ship owners worldwide

The Filipino seafarers are the top choice by ship owners all over the world, Atty. Manuel Portus, Regional Director of Marina in Eastern Visayas, informed during the Harampang Ha PIA media forum that launched this year’s National Maritime Week celebration on September 26 to October 1.

It is a fact that one-third of the world’s 1.5 million seafarers are Filipinos, Director Portus said.

Director Portus’ statement was backed up with data, the Philippine Information Agency found out. For one, a report mentioned that the chairman of International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ) has stated that Filipino seafarers are the top choice of Japanese ship managers and owners.

Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) shows that 266,533 Filipino seafarers were deployed all over the world in 2007. Out of this, more than 50,000 Filipino seafarers work in Japan's 3,000 merchant ships. This indicates that roughly 65 percent of Japan's maritime personnel are Filipinos.

Hellespont, an European shipping company with a manpower agency in Manila, has been hiring all-Filipino crews for its tanker fleet since 2004.

This is another confirmation that Filipino seafarers are the most sought seafarers in the global shipping industry. In fact, Filipinos are in demand to man ships at sea - from luxury cruise ships to giant tankers and container ships.

There are many reasons why the world wide shipping industry seeks to employ Filipino seafarers.

One of the foremost reasons mentioned was that Filipinos are seafarers by nature. The Philippines is an archipelago with vast coastline of 36,289 kilometers, more than USA’s 19,924 kilometers, UK’s 12,429 kilometers, China’s 14,500 kilometers, France’s 4,668 kilometers, and is almost equal to Russia’s 37,653 kilometer coastline.

As the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands, Filipinos have natural mariner's instincts and always work cheerfully despite months of separation from their families. They never show that they are homesick. While on shore leave, instead of going to the nearest bars to waste their earnings, they prefer to spend their time more at Internet cafes, writing e-mails or chatting online with their loved ones in the Philippines.

Another reason why shipping industry worldwide prefers Filipino seafarers is because of their dedication and discipline. Filipino seafarers work with dedication and are much disciplined. They are also very conscious about their conduct especially while on shore leave.

Filipino seafarers are hard-working. Filipino seafarers have more stamina and work physically more on board the ships. Filipino seafarers are also reliable and loyal. They are also are flexible and willingly perform duties that are not part of their contracts. They highly trainable and adapt to changing environment, and have problem-solving capability.

Perhaps, one of the most important reason why Filipino seafarers are preferred is they are fluent in English. They have good command of the English language and have good communication skills. 

Source: Philippine Information Agency