Radyo OFW: Kaylan nyo balak mag ”For Good” na sa Pilipinas?

@HindiKilalangSeaman wrote on his FB post “Honestly if it weren’t for the 48 degrees Celsius and everything is written in Arabic, I could mistake that half of the population of the Philippines is here.” Here he was referring to was in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates wherein a sizable number of Filipinos are working on the oil and maritime related industry.

The job vacancy on the vessel that was assigned to me will be available around the month of October. While waiting for my next employment, I’m starting my preparation for the bachelor’s degree teaching job that was offered. I intend to attend a mentoring session to brush my knowledge on the subject matter. The training director asked me, “Mag for for good ka na ba?” 

Coincidentally, the questions for the day being asked on Radyo OFW last 04 August 2016 were “Ilang taon na kayo sa abroad? Kailan nyo balak mag-“for good” na sa Pilipinas?” The program host was Ms Hannah Seneres and I was invited as a guest.

The answers of our kababayans on how long they were out of the country were varied with two having been out of the country for 23 long years.  The first one replied “Ako, 23 years dito sa abroad for good early 2018 in God’s will.” While the second lady answered, “23 years na ako sa abroad, almost 16 years sa Singapore at mag 8 years na dito sa Spain. Ewan kung uuwi pa ako. Sa awa ng Diyos okay naman ang medical at social security benefits ko dito covered lahat basta legit (legitimate). Due to health problem hindi ko na kakayanin manirahan pa sa Pilipinas, gamot lang tiyak na tigok na ako in one year pag stay doon.” 

Other reasons opined around 5 to 10 years once they save enough capitals for the businesses they plan to do; if their children will graduate in college; built their own house; pay all the debt and bills, etc. One said “10 years pag natupad na ni President Duterte yung lahat ng mga mabuting ipinangako nya sa mamayang Filipino.”

For others it was difficult to plan for their retirement: “only God knows kasi kahit planuhin nating kung may ibang plano si Lord, wala din tayong magagawa.” 

Most of the answers were coming from land based workers. Seafarers due to lack of resources (most ships have no internet connection onboard) and awareness of the radio program cannot take part in this kind of survey. I hope that the voices of seafarers (or even their family) either on vacation or at sea can be heard too. 

Kaylan ba mag-fo-for-good na sa Pinas ang isang Pinoy seafarer?

Kung tayo ay pupunta sa tambayan ng mga marino sa Kalaw sa bandang Luneta, mapapansin natin maraming mga nag aabang ng mga bakanteng posisyon. Ang iba ay nahihirapan ng sumakay at isang malaking factor ay “over age”. Mayroon akong kakilala na isang ultimo (rating), na dahil sa kanyang edad, nahihirapan na siyang makahanap ng kumpanya na tatangap sa kanya. Bumilang ng ilang taon ang kanyang karanasan sa pagbabarko subalit ang kanyang edad ang laging nagiging hadlang. Dalawang buwan siyang gumastos para maghanap ng mapapasukan sa Maynila at nang naubos na ang pera ay umuwi na sa kanilang probinsya. Ang isa naman ay gumastos para mapataas ang ranggo nya bilang opisyal pero unemployed pa rin siya hanggang ngayon dahil sa kanyang edad.

Sa pananaw ng mga shipowners, isang liability ang isang marino na nagkakaedad na dahil sa stressful na trabaho sa barko, mas madaling magkaroon/dapuan ng mga sakit ang mga ito at hindi na kayang makipagsabayan pa sa mga makabagong teknolohiya na mga gamit sa barko.

Hindi isang usapin sa ibang bansa ang “over age” kaya huwag kayong magtaka kung ang mga ibang lahi na nakakasama nyo ay pang Jurassic age na pero sa Pilipinas may diskriminasyon, kaya dapat bago tayo mag edad ng 50, Pinoy seafarers ready ka nang magretire.

Ang Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines (ISP) sa pamamahala ni Captain Jess Morales ay may adbokasiya na tumutulong na paghandaan ng mga Pinoy seafarers ang pag-fo-for-good na sa Pilipinas. Nagkakaroon din ng buwanang meeting (usually done last Saturday of the month) para manghikayat at ipakilala ang ISP.  Ang mga marino na nagbabakasyon o kaya ang kanilang pamilya ay habang may panahon pa ay atupagin na natin ito.

Bilang isang Pinoy seafarer, isa sa paghahanda ko kung sakaling ako ay huminto na sa pagbabarko ay magturo sa kolehiyo para naman ang mga kaalaman ko ay maibahagi ko rin sa mga susunod na henerasyon na mga marino. Ang panggalawa ay dapat mabayaran ko na ang lahat ng mga insurances and other financial instruments na pinaglakagan ko ng aking mga pinaghirapan sa pagbabarko.

 Ang pangatlo ay gusto ko ring maging tagapamahala ng mga lupa at gawaing pangsakahan (Farm manager). Sa ibang bansa tulad ng Australya, ang mga magsasaka ang silang mayayaman na kabaligtaran sa ating bansa. Gusto kong makatulong sa ating mga magsasaka sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay puhunan ng mga alagaing mga baka at sa iba pang mga bagay. 

Kailangan nating magtulunggan para paunlarin ang ating mga kababayan sa mga kanayunan. Sa isang lugar, mapapansin natin ang mga may malalaking mga bahay at mga anak na nakapagtatapos sa pag-aaral ay mas madalas yung mga may mga kamag-anakan sa abroad.

Yung mga kababayan kaya natin sa Fujairah, UAE na nakasalamuha ni @HindiKilalangSeaman, kaylan kaya sila mag fo for good na rin sa Pinas?

#PinoySeafarer

#RadyoOFW

#ISP

Radyo OFW Guesting with DJ Hannah Seneres

Enjoyed airtime with DJ Hannah Seneres of Radyo OFW. Salamat po for having me in your program. Missed the presence of her co-host "Ms. Bhing Gumamela" Comiso who personally invited to guest.

Day of the Seafarer 2016

(source - http://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/dayoftheseafarer/Pages/Day-of-the-Seafarer-2016.aspx)

Two-thirds of the surface of the planet Earth is covered by water. Statistics state that around 90 % of world trade is done by sea. Today, we are honoring this group of men and women who do the hard work in sailing (or running) the global economy.

In 2010, The International Maritime Organization (IMO), through The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), held a conference in The Philippines to update the existing code that will reflect the modern and the technological advancement in the maritime industry. The changes in the STCW were named 2010 Manila Amendments.

In addition, the treaty declared 2010 as “Year of the Seafarer” and nominated 25^th June of each year as the “Day of the Seafarer” through The Attachment 3 to the Final Act of the 2010 STCW Conference Resolution 19 with the heading Day of the Seafarer.

It stated among other:

“Recognizing fully the unique contribution seafarers from all over the world make to international seaborne trade, the world economy and civil society as a whole,

Recognizing equally the considerable risks seafarers shoulder in the execution of their daily tasks and duties in an often hostile environment,

Mindful of the deprivation to which seafarers are subject through spending long periods of their professional life at sea away from their families and friends,

It encourages Governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned to duly and appropriately promote the Day of the Seafarer and to take action to celebrate it meaningfully.”

On the IMO website, the present Secretary-General Kitack Lim, who is from South Korea, said: “this year, on the June 25^th, the Day of the Seafarer, we are once again asking the people of the world to show their appreciation for the seafarers that quietly, mostly unnoticed, keep the wheels of the world in motion.”

Today’s celebration is on its 6^th anniversary. This year’s campaign theme is “At Sea For All”. This is to let the world know how and why seafarers are indispensable to all. Seafarers serve not just fulfilling their own professional career advancement or being partner of the shipping industry. The services they render and those products that gets delivered worldwide definitely affect everybody.

Mabuhay ang mga 

Pinoy Seafarers !!!

#AtSeaForAll #DayOfTheSeafarer #HappySeafarersDay #25June #PinoySeafarer

A Life That Matters

Picture taken in Constantza, Romania last 08 June 2015

When your age is numerically equal to the size of your waistline, it surely does need a serious deep reflection and ACTION! I’m going to celebrate my birthday onboard with my crew today. I will do my deep reflection later. Meanwhile, I would like to share a poem by Michael Josephson that I read way back in 2014. Tell me your thought about it. May God bless us all.

A LIFE THAT MATTERS

Michael Josephson

Live a life that matters

Ready or not, some day it will come to an end

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days,

All things that you collected, whether treasured or forgotten,

Will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, to-do-list will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won’t matter where you came from,

Or on what side of the tracks you lived at the end.

It won’t matter whether you are beautiful or brilliant.

Even your gender or skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter?

How will be the value of your days will be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought,

BUT HOW YOU BUILT,

Not what you got,

BUT WHAT YOU GAVE

What will matter is not your success, but YOUR SIGNIFICANCE.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what YOU TAUGHT.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, 

Or sacrifice that enriched, empowered, or encouraged others

To emulate your example.

What will matter is not your competence, but YOUR CHARACTER.

What will matter is not how many people you knew

But how many will feel a LASTING LOSS WHEN YOU’RE GONE.

What will matter is not your memories,

But the memories that live in those who loved you.

What will matter is

HOW LONG YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED

BY WHOM AND FOR WHAT.

Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s not a matter of circumstance, but BY CHOICE.

Choose to live a life that matters.

2nd National Forum on the Philippine Maritime Heritage

Greetings!

The Museo Maritimo of the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies will hold a national forum on the Philippine Maritime Heritage with the theme “Akulturasyon, Tradisyon at Bagong Nasyon: Forming the Filipino Nation through and Tide” on September 29 to October 1, 2016 at the AIMS Tower, Roxas Blvd cor. Libertad, Pasay City.

Last year, Museo Maritimo took the initiative to organize the 1st National Forum on the Philippine Maritime Heritage wherein the participants were exposed only to a part of our maritime past. However, such an event is like a jigsaw puzzle, and in order to uncover more information, this second forum is being organized.

In this regard, we would like to invite your school’s history/social science faculty members and other interested faculty members and students from other departments to attend this forum.

The forum aims to serve as a driving force in promoting our maritime history and take part in nation-building through heritage awareness and cultural appreciation. It will feature series of lectures and paper presentations to be delivered by known historians and academicians.

Registration fee for professionals is Php 3,500.00 (Php 3,000.00 early bird rate until 15 September 2016). A discounted fee for students is Php 3,500.00 (Php 3,000.00 early bird rate until 15 September 2016). The whole package covers lunch (2), snacks (5), seminar kit, and Certificate of Participation. A special rate for group participants is likewise available.

Attached for your ready reference are the tentative program, poster, CHED Endorsement and registration form. You may contact us through 831-2467 loc. 310/331, 0943 -6078 -314, 0975 -8918 -858 or at museomaritimo@aims.ph

Kindly consider this our advance invitation.

Respectfully yours,

Ronel M. Gillesania

Executive Director

For Seafarers: It’s A Small World After All!

What is the probability that you will meet somebody you know like a Filipino former classmates/batchmates, friends, relatives or acquaintances in foreign places that your ship would visit?

In my previous ship, the third engineer met his kabaranggay which he hadn’t seen for a long time. The brand new vessel was still then in the shipyard in Imabari, Japan wherein his kababayan work as a welder.

My engine cadet was also very lucky. Our first trip then was going to California, USA. He met his distant relatives there when he went to go for shore leave. He even visited his relatives’ house.

I met my co-masteral student, Nelson Aplasca, in Veracruz, Mexico last April 2016. I visited his ship a few hours after berthing. Unluckily, their ship was damaged during the berthing operation. There was no rubber on the fender that ship’s hull hit. The tug instead of pulling, push it towards the fender. The damaged was repaired before it sailed to New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

I had a quick tour on the ship and met some of his crewmates. The Ordinary Seaman (OS) I met on the gangway was a Chinese. Then on the ship’s mess hall I met their electrician who was from Ghana. The Chinese chief officer was in the ship’s office doing his calculation while the Pinoy captain was then busy doing the damage report. 

The next day, it was his turn to visit my ship. I invited him for lunch. Sunday’s lunch was vegetable salad, mushroom soup and steak with corn. He also checked the ship to see the navigational equipment and the cargo operation onboard.

However, not all coincidence meetings are happy ones, there are cases of uncomfortable and sad serendipitous encounter. 

May isang naikwento sa akin, nagkita ang magbayaw sa isang bahay aliwan sa Santos, Brazil. Nagkahiyaan pa ng unang magkita pero pagkatapos ng ilang minuto nagtawanan din sila. Nasabi kong naikwento lang sa akin kasi hindi ito first-hand account, meaning wala ako sa lugar na ginaganapan ng mga pangyayari. 

Another story wherein the seafarer met his sister in Singapore. They met in the anchorage. Ang alam ng seaman, DW (Domestic Worker) ang trabaho ng kapatid nya doon. Pag day-off suma-sideline pala ang sister as an AB (Akyat Barko). Nagalit ang seaman at sa kakahiyan niya sa mga kasamahan sa barko, binigay nya ang ipong pera para may pamasahe pauwi ng Pilipinas ng kapatid.

Some folks say that nothing is accidental or just plain coincidence.  So if you unintentionally meet somebody you know while you are abroad, whether it is a happy unforgettable encounter or an embarrassing (if-memory-could-be-erased) one, it must be a sign. What sign? That it is a small world after all, especially for us seafarers!

P.S. – I believe someone higher up is watching over us. There must be a purpose for these kind of chance meetings.

A Young Pinoy Seafarer’s Challenge: Love life or Career?

Most of the cadets I have worked with have inspirations before leaving the Philippines. And it is not just once that a cadet confides to me that his girlfriend (GF) want to get married once he comes back to the Philippines. Napapailing lang ako. Unang sakay pa lang ng barko, kasal na agad ang habol ni GF.

Ang pagmamarino ay parang showbiz yan. Pag inuna mo ang love life, pwedeng mag suffer ang career mo. Pag inuna naman ang career, makapaghihintay naman kaya ang irog mo? Eh kung pagsabayin na lang kaya?

Many did that to find out that it is an uphill struggle bearing the weight of starting a family with starting a career. A Pinoy seafarer before he becomes a full pledge certificated officer will have to finish many training courses. Sometimes he stops his training because the financial resources are already limited. This is especially true if he has to personally pay for his trainings and in single income family. Stop muna ang schooling, sakay ng barko tapos manghihinayang kung may opportunity na promotion na hindi nakuha kasi hindi naman kumpleto ang mga papeles nya.

Some ratings will save money for a grand wedding celebration instead of career development. Sabi ng kasama ko, “Kung gumastos ka ng half million pesos para sa kasal mo na isang araw na okasyon pwede ng i-pang down ng house and lot yun. Hindi ka na sana nangu-ngupahan ngayon.” Pero huwag ka, sya rin naman, nag iipon kasi beach wedding sa Boracay ang gusto ng fiancée nya.

A Pinoy seafarer should allocate at least 100,000 pesos for review, exam and training. Posfil Shipmanagement has a very good cadetship program because the cadets are limited to have an onboard allowance of 50 US dollars only and the rest of their money goes to their self-allotment  to be used only for their career advancement. The cadets are forced to save. Kaya pagnakatapos ang kadete ng isang taong apprenticeship nya, may pera na pang tustos sa kanyang review, exam and training.  

A seaman’s GF asked me if her boyfriend should change company since he cannot use his license in the company where they are both presently affiliated with. My answer is a big YES! Many ratings with officers’ licenses are stuck in their present companies that promise promotion. Since there are other senior ratings ahead of them with licenses too, their chances of being promoted are slim or it will take 3 recommendations from department heads or 3 more contracts to finish before they will be considered for promotion. This usually happens in established companies. Yung iba 5 years na ang license hindi pa nagamit. Tapos may balak na panukala ang Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) noon na pag hindi mo nagamit ang lisensya ng 5-years ay kailangan mo ulit mag re-training ka or worst mag-re take ng exam. (Yung re-take ng exam, hindi natuloy, eh yung re-training, tuloy ba? Guys, please update me. Thanks.) 

Kung gusto mong magamit ang lisensya mo, sacrifice your present well-paying job as a rating and venture to a pi-pitsuging kumpanya (Pinoy seafarers’ lingo which mean lightweight/low caliber). Mas mababa kasi magpasahod kaya mahirap kumuha ng mga opisyales pero mabilis naman ang promotion. Yung isang nakausap ko, sa domestic trade nya nagamit ang license nya. I just told her that her boyfriend should tell his intention to his crewing manager before leaving the company. Mag-paalam ng maayos. para kung gusto nya ulit bumalik sa company, welcome pa rin siya.

In our society, it is expected that the older siblings are the one supporting the studies of the younger ones. Iba pa nga, hindi lang mga kapatid ang pinagpapa-aral pati mga pinsan o pamangkin ginagastusan. Hindi tuloy makapag exam ang seaman para mapataas ang ranggo nya.

Yung iba naman pag nasa barko, may planong mag exam, pero nakakita ng sexy car sales representative kaya ayun naengganyo at nakabibili ng bagong sasakyan. Dahil monthly amortization, hindi makapagbakasyon ng matagal para makapag review, exam at training. Kailangan sumakay agad ng barko para may pang hulog. Ang bago nyang sasakyan? Iba ang gumagamit, hehehe.

Dr. Luz Dasmariñas, department head of AIMS Graduate School’s (GS) Masters’ in Custom Administration (MCA), meets the Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of Navigational Watch of the ro-ro (roll on-roll off) ferry that the AIMS GS graduate students chooses for their ship’s bridge familiarization. He was not able to use his OIC license in the overseas trade but lucky enough to practice it in the domestic trade.

Love life or career? 

It depends on what is your goal. Some Pinoy seafarers like to become master mariner or chief engineer before the age of 30, Maaga silang maka-akto, maaga rin mag reretiro; while others want to start a family early.

Hint, pag tumambay ka sa Kalaw, (Pambansang Umpukan ng mga Seaman) sa may Luneta Park, ano ba ang laging in-demand na mga posisyon na hiring?

Start young, start right.

For a young starting Pinoy seafarer, are you going to concentrate on career advancement or padadala ka sa bugso ng puson.. este damdamin mo? The choice is yours. 

(Addendum: Here are the officers and crew comments after reading this article.)

Sabi ni deck cadet Earl De la Cruz, ”If you choose your career, love can definitely wait. If you choose love, opportunity comes once in a lifetime, your career will be…bulilyaso) J ”  

Second Mate William Gole added, “Some seafarers speak they have plan to take examination when they sign off. But even after 3 contracts they were still not able to take the exam because the budget is not enough. When you are married, your first priority will be the budget for the family’s expenses while on vacation. Some seafarers look for their fellow seafarers “dating kasamahan sa barko” with good hearts to borrow money for their examination. If they passed, they will look again for other persons to borrow money for training purposes. And if they were not able to borrow, they do Plan B. PLAN B is to report to the crewing agency office and ask to be lined-up. Hopefully, on his next contract, he will be able get extra money for next vacation to finance all training requirements for filling of Certificate of Competency (COC).”

hobolmaster: “If you choose your career, love can definitely wait.” A very concrete phrase and I always hear it especially on cadets. Now, I heard it again. I witness or let’s say I’ve worked with a cadet (earlier on his contract) that his dedication to his career is very strong and promising. But in a single moment, love starts growing strong than his dedication. Maybe because of too much promises they made together while on video call, hahaha, or he can’t control the feelings. Then when love problem struck like “the right one comes along”, career is affected (loco de amor) hahaha.. 

And there’s another love, love for families. We’re not asking this but you can’t avoid it, EMERGENCIES. Due to small allowance as a cadet or let’s say you’re a breadwinner, sometimes you don’t have a choice. You have to choose love over career to save your loved ones.(Nakaipit na pera pang exam hihiramin muna) In the eyes of God that is the right choice. So what would be the right thing to say when you start a career? 

For me, ang masasabi ko, It is God’s will. Diyos ang may-ari ng lahat ng bagay. Kaya sa awa at tulong Niya at sa Kalooban Niya maabot mo ang bagay na gusto mo. Of course work without faith and faith without work is dead. So work with faith. (sa lagi ko naririnig sa public address system sa barko “ I say again” ang sa akin lang.) WORK WITH FAITH!