Fallen from Grace: Pinoy Marino lost the Top Spot
Be fore warned: this is not a story with a happy ending.Since 1987, the Filipino seafarer had been basking in the ubiquitous status of the Philippines as the top supply country for merchant marine officers and ratings all over the world. Known widely as hardworking, adaptable and fluent in English, the Pinoy marino was so coveted by principals that manning agencies in Europe realized that they needed to establish physical offices in Manila and Cebu to be closer to the source. By 2003, 28.1 percent of seafarers deployed in ships all over the world were Filipinos; this meant that there were four or five marinos for every non-Filipino seafarer. Russia, who was the second-biggest supply country, could only boast a measly 6.8 percent. Ukraine and China ranked third and fourth respectively at 6.3 and 6.2. India lagged behind as fifth at 5 percent.
By 2003, 28.1 percent of all seafarers were Filipinos. This meant that there were four or five marinos for every non-Filipino seafarer.
It was also around 2003 when Philippine-based managers started to fear the rise of Chinese crewing competition. The lucrative nature of seafaring employment has begun to attract more youths from different Asian countries like Myanmar, and Vietnam, but China held a special threat because of the sheer size of their population – not to mention their willingness to accept lower salary offers. Luckily, China’s shipowning sector was also growing rapidly at this time; the shipping boom from 2003 and 2008 kept Chinese seafarers occupied with their own fleet. Also, the Filipino seafarer’s superior English language skills provided a significant tactical advantage.
The Golden Age of the Filipino Seafarer
Another evidence of the Philippines’ clout in the merchant marine niche, is of course, the preferential treatment being given by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). EMSA auditors first visited the country in 2006 to assess compliance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), which sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships. Until the present, the Philippines has yet to pass this assessment despite more than years of repeated evaluations by the EMSA committee.
Despite the Philippines’ inability to satisfy the auditors, no EU-ban on Filipino seafarers has happened, because to do so will effectively cripple the operations of European vessels. Instead, EMSA has tolerantly extended the Philippines’ grace period. Compare this tolerance to the judgment that was accorded to Georgia, who was also evaluated within the same period. Like the Philippines, Georgia did not pass the 2006 EMSA audit, but there was no mercy. The EU did not hesitate to ban Georgian seafarers for two years. After all, they did not have the numbers that the Philippines did. Fortunately for Georgia, their government managed to clean up their act within this time, and their seafarers were duly reinstated for employment onboard EU-flagged vessels.
As the most in-demand nationality within the global maritime industry, Filipino seamen have become a major segment of the migrant workers whose remittances have propped the Philippines through various economic challenges. Thanks to the consistent influx of dollars into the country, the Philippines survived the 2007 financial crisis relatively unharmed, especially in comparison to its neighbors.
End of an Era
The shipping sector has been largely unprofitable these last few years, especially for certain sectors like container shipping and offshore. The slowdown of China’s growth meant that there was a drastic decrease in the buying and selling of goods all over the world. This had various repercussions all over the world.
Despite the not so favorable trade winds, the Filipino seafarer continued to serve as a pillar of financial stability. For 2014 alone, the Bank of the Philippines estimates that dollar remittances from the maritime OFWs stood at $5,6B.
In 2015, however, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Chamber of Shipping had released their once every five-year report on the global shipping manpower situation. This report, which is based on an exhaustive survey of data from different stakeholders all over the world, revealed that China had overtaken the Philippines as the overall top supplier of seafarers. The Philippines is still the world’s top source for ratings, but China is now ranked as the number one supplier of officers.
This has serious long-term implications, considering that the world currently has a deficit of 16,500 officers, which is likely to increase to 92,000 by 2020 and 147,500 by 2025. In contrast, there is an oversupply of 119,000 for ratings.
In other words, China’s lead over the Philippines won’t be that easy to close. In fact, it is much more likely to widen as we continue to have problems with the quality management and monitoring for maritime education and training institutions (METIs). In fact, the 11-year streak of EMSA audit failure continues unabated. China’s METIs, on the other hand, have full government support. Chinese maritime students also enjoy the training advantages provided by a large PROC-flagged fleet. Meanwhile, an astounding 70 percent of the Philippines’ maritime graduates end up never setting foot on a vessel.
Fears and murmurings
The EMSA assessors have been back in the country last March 13, and they stayed on until March 23. The first time that they were here was last 2006. Our country failed miserably in the first EMSA audit, and we did scarcely better with the second audit. Since the beginning, there were two major deficiencies cited: a remarkable lack of effective monitoring and quality management system implementation.
As of March 2017, there are still substandard METIs that are being allowed to operate in various regions of the Philippines. Many Filipino seamen are groaning under the huge volume of training that need to be complied with. As the K-12 system now stands, it will take a minimum of seven years for a Filipino student to finish schooling and become a maritime officer. This might even take longer, as there are talks of more modules being added.
As of March 2017, there are still substandard METIs that are being allowed to operate in various regions of the Philippines. Many Filipino seamen are groaning under the huge volume of training that need to be complied with. As the K-12 system now stands, it will take a minimum of seven years for a Filipino student to finish schooling and become a maritime officer. This might even take longer, as there are talks of more modules being added.
It’s almost certain that the Philippines will yet again fail its most recent EMSA audit. And with the numbers game slipping away, there’s less and less reason for EU to be as tolerant with our shortcomings as they have been. This is not good for the Philippines. Not good at all.©
SOURCE: UFS
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