Filipino seafarers will find greater opportunity as tens of thousands of seafarer jobs will be available in the next few years. Stein Eriksen, managing director of the Norwegian Training Center-Manila of the Norwegian Ship Owners Association, said more quality seafarers would be needed as the global economy starts to recover from the financial crisis that crippled businesses in 2008. "There will be greater opportunities and Filipino seafarers should grab these opportunities," Eriksen said in a press conference at the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU) on Sunday to launch the highlight of Iloilo's Paraw Regatta festival. He said the shortage of seafarers could reach 90,000 by 2015. At least 20,000 Filipino seafarers were working onboard Norwegian vessels at one time and nearly a third of the world's 1.3 million seafarers were Filipinos, said Eriksen. Iloilo is considered the country's seafarer capital because it produces the most number of seafarers each year. Eriksen said there was a shortage of qualified seafarers before the financial crisis but this was reduced when the maritime traffic dropped due to the economic downturn.
However, Eriksen said the gradual recovery of the global economy resulted to the construction of more ships, which would require the hiring of officers and crew.
Ole Stene of the shipping firm Aboitiz-Jebsen said around 7,000 to 8,000 ships were expected to be built globally within the next three years (BU NAV !!!). "These ships would need from 70,000 to 80,000 officers alone," Stene said in the press conference. Eriksen, also president of the Philippine Norway Business Council, said that while Filipinos were among the top and most sought after seafarers by ship owners, "there is a need to attract more young people to join the seafaring industry not just as a job but as a career." The Philippines would continue to be among the main sources of seafarers globally but there was a pressing need to produce quality seafarers who could meet the international standards and compete with seafarers from other countries, he said. Eriksen said only a fraction of at least 60,000 graduates of 96 maritime schools in the Philippines meet the qualifications required by international shipping firms.
He said 15 to 20 maritime schools in the country would be sufficient if these produce quality graduates. "We have many seafarers but what we need are 'qualified' ones," he said. He said the government and maritime schools should focus on improving the quality of graduates to ensure that they could avail of the job opportunities.
The monthly salary of seafarers hired by foreign-owned vessels ranges from a low of P40,000 (crew and lower rank officers) to a high of P500,000 (top officers). JBLFMU Chairperson Mary Lou-Lacson-Arcelo, said their school has raised its minimum acceptance standards to ensure that those who enroll in their schools were among the top high school students. JBLFMU is the first maritime university in Asia and is among the top producer of seafarers. Seafarers are among the top earners for the country with foreign remittances reaching $2.461 billion in 2010, 11.31 percent more than the $2.211 billion recorded in 2009, Sen. Edgardo Angara said in an earlier interview. Angara, who authored Senate Bill No. 2062 (Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers), said that while demand was still high for Filipino seafarers, only one of four are in the officer class. There is also stiff competition coming from China, Ukraine, India, Indonesia, Poland and Greece.
SHIPPING NEWS
24 February 2011 - 14:13
70,000 seafarer jobs seen in coming years
Filipino seafarers will find greater opportunity as tens of thousands of seafarer jobs will be available in the next few years
SHIPPING NEWS
24 February 2011 - 14:13
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