MANILA, Philippines -- Up to 40,000 Philippine seamen working for Japanese shipping companies could lose their jobs this year as vessels are laid up due to the sharp fall in world trade, an official said Wednesday.
Japanese ship owners employing more than 40,000 Filipinos as crew have notified Manila that their operations may be downsized, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque told reporters.
Crew members working on car carriers, bulk carriers and container ships would be the first to go, he added.
About 300,000 Filipinos work on merchant shipping around the globe, according to official data.
As trade demand drops worldwide some foreign ship owners have also filed notice they would lay up their vessels and cut crews this year, said Ericson Marquez, head of a group of ship-manning agencies based in the Philippines.
"In the next six months, we can see more Philippine crewmen repatriated," Marquez said.
At least 433 container ships have been laid up worldwide due to lack of cargo, Marquez said.
Roque said 45 of these foreign vessels are laid up at Subic Bay, north of Manila, and in the southern Philippine port of Davao.
"The demand for seafarers is still there but it is only for a particular kind of ship, like tankers," Marquez said.
"If we don’t have those specialties, there could be dislocation in the manning industry," he added.
Roque said Manila has asked Tokyo's transport ministry to help retrain displaced Philippine seamen.
"This agreement would provide Philippine seafarers affected by the crisis to train and upgrade their skills while waiting for their return on board," he added.
3 comments:
I always believe that for every problem that comes along the way there is a MUCH AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES to come.. 40,000 high caliber and highly skilled officers and crew can filled up the vacant position in the domestic shipping.With there expertise they can now transfer the new technology they have learned abroad. A insurmoutable growth in the local shipping idustry can atleast counter the tremendous effect of the financial crisis here in the Philippines. And the money they have saved can start a new business creating filipino products boosting the economic sustainibilty of the nation.
There would always be other jobs that can be offered to them. I know that cruising is increasing its popularity in the tourism industry and there are a lot of job openings as the need for new cruise ships and ship ports increases. Maybe most of them can go for cruise ship jobs. Its a great paying job anyways.
Just look at the brighter side of the situation. Maybe at first, it is very hard to accept if you're going to lose the job on ship but I believed that God prepared a lot for us, so there's no need to worry just have and keep the faith burning.
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