Send to Colleague
Printer Friendly Format
Email the Editor
Philippines delays decision on high risk area
Marcus Hand, Manila - Tuesday 7 October 2008
THE Philippines government has delayed an expected decision to declare the Gulf of Aden a high risk area, doubling the pay of the country’s seafarers when transiting.The resolution of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s governing board which had been expected today has been delayed until next week according to local reports.
Under the proposed resolution POEA contract seafarers would receive double pay for the duration of a transit of the Gulf of Aden and could also break their contract if they did not want sail through the area, as long as they paid for their own repatriation. Refusal to transit the area would not affect future employment opportunities at sea.
POEA Administrator Jennifer Manalili told the Inquirer that the decision had been delayed till next week over practical issues such as the exact area covered.
“The right [of the seafarers] to sign off is already agreed, but some questions need to be answered: Who will replace them? When is the suitable time to manifest [the disembarkation] in writing?” she asked.
POEA officials met with Philippines manning industry representatives at the weekend to discuss concerns.
“It’s good the POEA is talking with the industry, this is an important resolution, and we want to clarify things,” Sammuel Lim, president of the Filipino Association of Mariners’ Employment told Lloyd’s List earlier.
“As a sovereign government it has every right to protect its citizens as much as it can, so we need the industry to help the government on this.”
Supplying around 28% of the world’s international seafarers the Philippines has been hard hit by the spate of hijackings and kidnappings by Somali pirates with 82 Filipino seafarers currently held hostage.
