macapagal signs absentee voting bill into la filera 9189 would allow some seven million filipinos,...

Parola no. 116 - November 2002 - February 2003 -

NO: 116 Double Issue November 2002 - February 2003

Inside ....A Seafarer’s Primer on the Absen-tee Voting Law of 2003

Editorial on the meaning and sig-nificance of the overseas voting lawto Filipino seafarers

A pictorial review of seafarers cele-berating Christmas 2002 inRotterdam

Staff reports and articles about thehomecoming experience

Some jokes, a lot of greetings, and apoem from a seafarer’s wife

Macapagal signs AbsenteeVoting Bill into law

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 13 February 2003 signed into law Republic Act 9189, or the OverseasAbsentee Voting Act of 2003. RA 9189 would allow some seven million Filipinos, including immigrants and permanentresidents, the right to cast their votes during national elections. This law had been in the making 15 years.

The signing of the landmark bill in Malacañang was attended by its creators, including House Speaker Jose de Vene-cia and Representative Apolinario Lozada of the House Representatives. Senator Edgardo Angara, on the other hand,represented the Senate.

RA 9189 will allow overseas Filipinos the right to cast their votes in the 2004 national election. Their votes will be forthe candidates running for president, vice president, senators and party-list representatives. The law set the voting ageat 18.

The House of Representatives ratified on February 11 the Absentee Voting Bill. The bill was approved by majority ofthe 146 congressmen who voted by voice during the late night session. The Senate ratified the much-delayed measureearlier on February 4.

The President earlier declared she would sign the law “24 hours” after Congress ratified the bill.

One billion pesos will be allocated this year for the preparations needed toimplement the absentee voting law, according to Congressman ApolinarioLozada Jr., chair of the House foreign relations committee. The Comelec hasasked for two billion pesos towards the implementation of RA 9189 for the2004 elections.

SC asked to nullify parts of absentee voting law

Meanwhile, a taxpayer’s suit was filed before the Supreme Court on Febru-ary 17 seeking to declare null and void some provisions of the absentee votinglaw, particularly the provision allowing Filipino immigrants and green-cardholders to participate in the 2004 elections.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said some of the provisions in the newlyenacted Absentee Voting Law violate the 1987 Constitution and can lead to alot of problems during and after the national elections in May 2004.

In a 16-page petition, Macalintal asked the SC to stop the Comelec fromimplementing the voters’ registration of Filipino immigrants and permanent

cont’d next page

PHILIPPINE SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME, ROTTERDAM

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:101


residents in other countries. He was echoing Sen. Joker Arroyo’s previous objection to the law.

In his petition, Macalintal also sought to void the portion of RA 9189 giving Comelec the power to order the proclama-tion of winning candidates. This provision, he said “encroaches upon the power of Congress to canvass votes for thepresident, vice president” and the power to proclaim winners for these positions.

Macalintal added that the provision in RA 9189 allowing the Congressional Oversight Committee to “review, reviseamend and approve” the implementing rules and regulations the Comelec would promulgate for absentee voting is void.This way “an act of intrusion” into the Comelec’s independence. He added that it is only the Supreme court that has thepower to review the rules on absentee voting crafted by the Comelec.

Earlier, two framers of the Constitution, Fr. Joaquin Bernas and Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople have assertedthat the enfranchisement of immigrants is constitutional. (from Internet Inquirer and Philippine Star 11, 12, 13, 18 February 2003)

ABSENTEE VOTING LAW, from page 1

IMPORTANT UPDATE ONTHE ROTTERDAM PROGRAMME OF ACTION(See parola No. 115 for the text of this historic document which wasadopted by the first international conference for Filipino seafarers

in Rotterdam on June 2002. Our recommendation in par. 24ahas become a reality. Mabuhay ang marinong Pilipino!)

COMING SOON: One-Stop Processing Center for Seafarers

President Macapagal-Arroyo announced on February 6,2003 that she issued Administrative Order No. 56 creat-ing the Philippine Seafarers’ One-Stop ProcessingCenter. “It is the policy of the state to provide full protec-tion to Filipino seafarers and their families, promotetheir interests, and safeguard their well being” she said.

She declared that “a number of government agencies aremandated to address the needs and requirements of theseafarers to the end that more integrated and harmo-nized sets of systems and procedures for implementationby these agencies would ensure a more timely and effi-cient delivery of services. The Filipino seafarers have aright to quality and affordable education and training toprepare them for new and emerging challenges in thepractice of their profession and skills.”

The center, to be under the supervision of the Depart-ment of Labor and Employment, is where relevantgovernment agencies engaged in the promotion of the in-terests and well-being of Filipino seafarers shall berepresented to efficiently respond to the needs of Filipinoseafarers. The center will adopt and utilize appropriatemechanisms, facilities, equipment and information tech-nology to enable and allow it to respond to Filipinoseafarers’ concerns and demands.

The agencies mandated by the President to provide serv-ices in the center are as follows: DOLE, Department ofForeign Affairs, Commission on Higher Education, Pro-fessional Regulation Commission, National

Telecommunications Commission, Philippine OverseasEmployment Administration, Overseas Workers WelfareAdministration, Technical Education and Skills Develop-ment Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, NationalBureau of Investigation, Social Security System, Philip-pine Health Insurance Corporation, National StatisticsOffice, and other government agencies that the DOLESecretary may deem necessary.

The center will be physically located in one site to re-duce the time required on the part of the seafarers andthe general public for official transactions.

The President ordered the Center, through the DOLE,to submit a report to the Office of the Vice President,within six months upon the effectivity of A.O. No. 56 onthe extent and status of streamlining processes pertinentto the operations of the center and the specific mandatesof its member agencies relevant to the promotion of Fili-pino seafarers’ interests.

She allocated a funding of not less than P25 millionwhich shall be provided to DOLE by the Office of thePresident and the Philippine Amusement and GamingCorporation during the initial year of operation of thecenter. The funding requirements of the center shall beintegrated in the General Appropriations Act.

(From PGMA, PND News Release, 06 February 2003)

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:102


EDITORIAL

The Filipino Seafarers will vote for ....

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed into law the Absentee VotingBill, which was formally approved by the Congressional Bicameral ConferenceCommittee last February 4. It took several months for both houses of Congress tohammer out a compromise bill that reconciled radically different versions of thedraft bill adopted by the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Presidentearlier promised that she will immediately sign into law the AVB as soon as it waspassed by Congress. She has delivered on that promise. Now we have the AbsenteeVoting Law of 2003. Millions of Filipinos overseas have waited for 15 long yearsto see this law issue out from the Philippine legislature. Finally, their hopesof political enfranchisement are seeing the light of day. In May 2004, for thevery first time, Filipinos from all over the world will be able to vote for theirPresident, Vice President, Senators and Party-list Representatives.

The specific details and mechanisms for absentee voting under Republic Act9189 are sketchy and have yet to be fully worked out through implementingregulations. However, the law recognizes the unique situation of Filipinoseafarers, directing the COMELEC to set up special procedures for theirregistration as absentee voters, and permitting them to cast their votes anytimewithin 60 days before election day. This is good news for the more than 250,000Filipino seafarers onboard merchant ships roaming the world’s oceans. Congress hasacknowledged that the opportunities for Filipino seafarers to exercise theirsuffrage rights are seriously limited by the very nature of their mobileprofession. Seafarers and sea-based Filipino workers, as always, deserve specialconsideration as a sub-group of OFWs.

PSAP will closely follow developments related to the formulation andimplementation of the rules and regulations to be promulgated by the COMELEC andthe DFA under the absentee voting law. We will report these developments to theseafarers’ community via Parola and other means and advise Parola readers onpractical matters concerning the voting rights of seafarers. PSAP will also launchlobby and advocacy initiatives to see to it that the enfranchisement of Filipinoseafarers abroad will proceed in the most orderly and meaningful way possible.

Should seafarers take the absentee voting law seriously? PSAP believes so.Remember the proposed “magna carta” for Filipino seafarers adopted by the FilipinoSeafarers’ National Convention last September 2002? Remember the “Programme ofAction for Filipino Seafarers” adopted by the historic international conferencein Rotterdam last June 2002? These documents embody the Philippine legislative andgovernment policy agenda in the coming years which should defend and promoteFilipino seafarers rights and welfare. Only the force of a “maritime vote”,properly harnessed, can put pressure on top political leaders to act quickly andsustainably on this agenda. After all, the political empowerment of seafarers andtheir families means their significant participation in national decision-making,leading to concrete improvements in their lives.

The future leadership of the Republic will have no choice but to reckonwith the maritime vote, both at home and overseas. The maritime vote is a power– and a newly-acquired responsibility for seafarers - that will become a realitysoon. It is a power that our Filipino seafarers will no doubt put to good use.

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:103


A PRIMERFOR FILIPINO SEAFARERS ON

THE OVERSEAS ABSENTEE VOTING ACT OF 2003

Q: What is the Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003?

A: Republic Act 9189 was signed as law of the Philippines by President Macapagal-Arroyo on 13 February 2003.Finally, the controversial “Absentee Voting Bill” in Congress, debated for the past 15 years, has now been enacted intolaw. The law provides for a system of absentee voting by qualified Filipino citizens who are abroad. Official estimates putthe number of Filipino absentee voters to over 7 million.

Q: Do Filipino seafarers abroad enjoy absentee voting rights under RA 9189?

A: Yes. Seafarers and/or sea-based OFWs who are outside the Philippines are not disqualified from exercising their rightto suffrage under RA 9189.

Q: Are there provisions in RA 9189 which specifically mention seafarers?

A: Yes. Seafarers are specially mentioned under the law in two instances. First, under the section on absentee voterregistration, RA 9189 states that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) shall provide a special mechanism for the timeand manner of personal registration of seafarers, taking into consideration the nature of their work. Secondly, under thesection on casting of ballots, RA 8189 states that seafarers shall cast their ballots anytime within 60 days before the day ofelections. (In contrast, other absentee voters can cast their ballots within 30 days before election day).

Q: When can seafarers vote and who can they vote for?

A: Filipino seafarers abroad who are able comply with the requirements under RA 9189 and its implementing rules canalready vote in the national elections of May 2004. Seafarers will be able to vote for candidates running for President, VicePresident, Senators, and party list representatives in Congress.

Q: So what should a seafarer do to become a “qualified absentee voter” for the May 2004 elections?

A: The specific procedures to be followed will still have to be promulgated by the COMELC. However, RA 9189outlines, in general, the steps to be followed by all overseas absentee voters:

First, a seafarer must be registered. An application for registration should be completed by a seafarer personally.Applications for Registration may be obtained and filed in the Philippines or in the embassies, consulates or other foreignservice establishments of the Philippines abroad. For the May 2004 elections, all registration applications should generallybe filed with COMELEC by August 2003.

Second, after a seafarer’s application for registration has been filed and approved by the COMELEC, he will beissued a “certificate of registration as an overseas absentee voter” by the COMELEC. The seafarer’s name will then appearin the National Registry of Overseas Absentee Voters which will be widely published.

Third, after his successful registration, a seafarer shall submit, personally or by mail, an “application to vote” tothe Philippine embassy, consulate or other foreign service establishment in the country where he intends to cast his vote forthe May 2004 elections. For this purpose, an appropriate application form will be made available by the COMELEC. Thisapplication to vote shall be accompanied by a copy of the seafarer’s certificate of registration already issued to the seafarer.After approval by the COMELEC of such application to vote, the seafarer will be issued an “absentee voter identification

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:104


card” which will be forwarded to an address previously indicated by the seafarer.

Fourth, anytime within 60 days before the day set for the elections in May 2004 (i.e., on any day starting fromearly-March 2004 up to election day in May 2004), the seafarer can cast his vote/ballot at the Philippine embassy,consulate or other foreign service establishment, or the COMELEC-designated polling place in a foreign country. Theseafarer must personally accomplish his ballot (i.e., no proxy voting) within the premises of the polling place. A seafarerwill only be allowed to cast a ballot upon presentation of his absentee voter identification card. Also, the ballot cast willNOT be counted if it is not placed inside a special envelop that has been given to the voter when casting his ballot.

Q: Can a seafarer vote or cast his ballot by postal mail?

A: For the May 2004 elections, RA 9189 has authorized voting by mail only in three countries. These countries are yetto be definitively identified by the COMELEC. A seafarer who has applied to vote in the territory of any of these threecountries could certainly be entitled to cast his vote by mail.

Q: Will the seafarer have to pay for anything to be able to participate in the May 2004 elections?

A: RA 9189 provides that “consular and diplomatic services rendered in connection with the absentee voting systemshall be made available at no cost to the overseas absentee voter”. Only the services are free. Thus, for e.g., personaltransportation and communication expenses necessary to obtain the “certificate of registration” and the “absentee votingidentity card”, or to cast a ballot, shall be paid by the seafarer himself.

Q: Juan de Marino, who is on a 9-month contract, leaves the Philippines in November 2003 and he expects to be inRotterdam port sometime in April 2004. What should he do to become a qualified absentee voter for the May 2004elections?

A: Juan should already work on his registration as an overseas absentee voter prior to his departure. If possible, heshould also already apply for and secure his absentee voter identification card in the Philippines. Information on theprocedures he will follow can be obtained at the local COMELEC office in his town or province. He should indicate inthe application to vote as absentee voter that he will be casting his vote in The Netherlands during the May 2004elections.

Q: I am a retired/inactive seaman and I live abroad. I still hold a Filipino passport. According to the immigrationauthorities in the country where I now live, I have acquired the status of a permanent resident in this foreign country.Can I vote in the May 2004 elections?

A: Yes, you can qualify as an overseas absentee voter for the 2004 Elections. Your classification as absentee voter,however, will not be as a “seafarer absentee voter” but as an “immigrant or permanent resident” absentee voter. In thiscase, you are required, upon registration, to execute an affidavit (the corresponding form for this has been prepared foryou by the COMELEC) declaring that you shall resume actual physical residence in the Philippines not later than threeyears after you have been registered as an overseas absentee voter. The other requirements for overseas voters will alsobe appicable to you and you should comply with these. You will then be allowed to vote in the May 2004 elections.However, you have to keep in mind several considerations as an immigrant- or permanent resident-absentee voter:

If you fail to resume actual physical residence the Philippines within three years after your registration asoverseas absentee voter, your name shall be removed from the National Registry of Absentee Voters and you will bepermanently disqualified from becoming an overseas absentee voter.

If, nothwithstanding your disqualification as an overseas absentee voter on account of your failure to returnto the Philippines, you are yet able to cast a vote as absentee voter in the next national elections (after May 2004) youwill be criminally liable for an election offense, and you will risk prosecution and imprisonment when you go back tothe Philippines.

If the Supreme Court declares as unconstitutional and legally void the provision in RA 9189 allowingimmigrants and permanent residents to qualify and vote as overseas absentee voters, then you will not have any votingrights at all during the May 2004 elections.

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:105


Christmas 2002: Aboard and Ashore

A report by Engineer Felix Pulmano

“Port-able Christmas”

PSAP’s Christmas treat for seafarers kicked-off on Dec. 7 with“Port-able Christmas: a Party for Passing Sailors inRotterdam”. This was held at the International Seamen’sCentre in De Beer Europort. There were around 200 seafarerspresent, coming from 20 different ships and representing atleast seven different nationalities. The dancing and the singingmade it truly a memorable party. In the true spirit of Christmas,no entrance fees were charged and gifts were given away.PSAP’s Board, Staff and Volunteers shared another proudDecember occasion with seafarers, an annual celebration notonly of Christmas but also of International Human Rights Day,International HIV/AIDs Awareness Day, and the InternationalDay of Migrant Workers.

Port-able Christmas 2002 enjoyed the generosity of severalsponsors: Kerstfest op Zee, the Rotterdam Municipal HealthService (GGD) and the RCBC bank in Rotterdam. Cooperationwas also extended by the Stichting Zeemanshuis Rotterdam andthe port chaplains. Rev. Dolf Leatomu read the Christmasmessage.

The presence and support of representatives from many localorganizations was well appreciated by seafarers: the PhilippineEmbassy, the International Seaman’s Mission, ICMA, the ITF-NL, the African Seafarers Assistance Network,. There were alsomany guests from the Filipino community and delegates fromseveral Filipino organizations in the Netherlands.

The Christmas Spirit Onboard

To Filipino seafarers, enjoying the Christmas spirit onboard very often means celebrating a church service onboard, followed bya Filipino-style festivity. In 2001, PSAP pioneered the delivery of a Christmas mass service aboard ship upon the invitation of thecrew of the Olympia 3. That was truly an amazing experience of service. Even the crew, who at that time were abandoned by theirshipping company, say that that was one of their best Christmas celebrations ever.

Christmas 2002 was an equally exciting and perhaps a happier experience for PSAP and over a hundred Filipino seafarers. Thistime, not only the Filipino seafarers but also their employers - the management of two shipping concerns – invited PSAP to bringin a social and spiritual programme to address the special requirements of Christmas onboard.

On December 26, PSAP Staff and Volunteers celebrated Christmas with the 26 Filipino crew of Stena Line’s Discovery – thecompany’s fastest passenger vessel which can run at a top speed of 43 knots. The Christmas atmosphere was continued in the hotelof the crew on January 6, where a thanksgiving mass was offered.

The crew of the M/V Lyra, with PSAP friends

The crew of the Stena Discovery entertains

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:106


On January 1st, in an exclusive port of the P&O North Sea Ferries, a Christmas and New Year’s mass was celebrated onboardwith the 75 Filipino crew of the Pride of Rotterdam - one of the biggest passenger-ferries in the world.

Christmas onboard 2002 was truly a blessing for all concerned. For the first time, PSAP took part in a pioneering initiative basedon the true spirit of Christmas sharing, involving the close partnership of shipping companies and ship management, their crew,the church and a port-based welfare institution (PSAP). The pictures tell it all. It is truly amazing to see and to partake in thehappiness and cheer generated by such partnership. This onboard Christmas experience is a model for the whole world to see!With such precedent, seafarers all over the world can truly hope for and believe in “peace and good will” that is the promise ofChristmas for all time, at port or at sea.

Christmas onboard 2002 was made possible through the the following special people, whose legacy to seafarers’ welfare in the21st century has already been marked out because they strove to establish a working model of maritime cooperation, inspired bythe goodwill of Christmas:

Fr. Dan Ceballos: specially commissioned honorary chaplain of Stella Maris – Aposleship of the Sea. PSAP appreciated hispassion and conviction to reach what is often the unreachable ministry.

Fr. Frits Maas: National Director of Stella Maris-Apostleship of the Sea. His creative and caring approach to institutionalcooperation allowed PSAP a much-needed leeway to a deliver the special spiritual treat to Filipino seafarers.

Ms. Maggie Walker: Operations Director of Multiplan International, a Belgium-based manning and personnel agency. Her boldand courageous initiative to accommodate the cultural and spiritual needs of Filipino seafarers is a beacon in the shipping worldthat sets a new “human element” standard throughout the industry.

The respective management of P&O and Stena Line: PSAP believes that their openness to recognize the needs of their Filipinocrew during the Christmas season is an exemplary demonstration of “corporate social responsibility”. Their invitation to PSAPto help develop a social programme for their crew during the yuletide is a welcome move that breaks traditional barriers within themaritime community which consists of many actors whose common aim is to the promotion of seafarer’s rights and well-being.

Fr. Dan Cebalos, Stella Maris’ “Christmas Chaplain”

StenaLine’s Discovery Filipino Crew rediscover Christmas The Filipino crew of The Pride of Rotterdam proudly welcomes 2003

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:107


SEAFARERS’CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:108


PSAP PICTORIAL COVERAGEWinter 2002-2003

PSAP Manager Atty. Peter Payoyo and wife, with PhilippineSupreme Court Chief Justice and Mrs. Hilario Davide, Justiceand Mrs. (Court Administrator) Puno and Ambassador R.Arguelles in the Hague.

Dr. Peter Payoyo attends the General AnnualMeeting of the International Committee onSeafarers Welfare (ICSW), London, 28 Jan 2003

Thor HumbriaSteinstrum

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:119


More Male OFWscontract HIV/AIDS

A number of them come home notknowing they are “walking bombs.” Astudy of Department of Healthrevealed that more male overseasFilipino workers (OFWs), particularlythose who work in areas wheresexual permissiveness is practiced,have been found to have contractedthe human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) that leads to the AcquiredImmunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The study made by the DOH Nation-al Epidemiology Center said maleOFWs workers now comprise 33 per-cent of the total AIDS cases reportedin the country. “These figures mustbe taken taken seriously by con-cerned agencies,” said SimerBelacho, DOH AIDS education offic-er in Northern Mindanao, addingmany male OFWs come home una-ware they are already “walkingbombs.”

He said that usually, OFWs find outthey have been afflicted with the vi-rus only when they go for medicalcheck-up. OFWs cannot return totheir workplaces abroad without amedical check-up that includes andAIDS test.

The DOH study said some 1,761confirmed HIV cases were reportedin the Philippines from January 1984to September 2002. Of this number,517 were male OFWs with agesranging from 20 to 50 years old. For-ty nine percent of them wereseamen.

In Northern Mindanao, two of thethree confirmed AIDs cases reportedwere seamen who came home fortheir retirement only to find out theyhave been afflicted with the disease.(MindaNews, 5 December 2002)

Seafarers’ wives, moms, sisbond together for jailed kin in

UAE

Call it female bonding. The wives,mothers and sisters of 23 Filipinoseamen detained in the United ArabEmirates have developed a commonbond, finding strength in each otherin their quest to bring the jailed menhome. Their friendship, honed in theirweakest moments, sees themthrough their adversity.

The 23 women first met in a McDon-ald’s restaurant in Baclaran,Parañaque, in February 2000, a fewweeks after 30 Filipino seamen werejailed in Abu Dhabi for allegedly de-frauding several banks there. Sevenseamen have since been released.

Malou Tejero, 37, had called thatmeeting to discuss their loved ones’plight. Tejero got in touch with thewomen through the seamen’s recruit-ment agency.

It was an eventful meeting, markedby the flowing of many tears.

“We were a bit hesitant to talk atfirst,” said Tejero. “But soon weshared stories, and then cried a loteven as we ate.”

Fatima Agustin, 37, paid for theirmeal, using the last 100 dollars shehad received from her husband.

Then and there, the women decidedto seek justice for the jailed men.They appointed Agustin, a feistyMuslim, as their leader and spokes-person. For a year after that meeting,they saw each other almost everyday-rain or shine-trooping to variousgovernment agencies and appealingto numerous officials. (Phil Inquirer, 5 January 2005)

Filipinos ignore war threat,flock to Middle East jobs

Just as the government is busy pre-paring an evacuation plan forFilipinos who could be caught in awar in the event the United States at-tacks Iraq, many overseas Filipinoworkers (OFWs) still choose to bedeployed to the Middle East, withmany more waiting in the wings for achance of landing jobs in the Arab re-gion.

From Cebu alone, 447 Cebuanosflew to the Middle East in January2003, according to records obtainedfrom the Philippine Overseas Em-ployment Administration (POEA) inCentral Visayas.

POEA officials in the region also ex-pressed surprise that there were noinquiries or requests for repatriationmade by OFWs working in the MiddleEast or even by their relatives, unlikewhat the office experienced duringthe 1991 Gulf War.

According to the POEA records, ofthe 447 OFWs who left for the MiddleEast from Jan. 1 to 31, 66 were nurs-es while the rest were mechanics,middle pipe fitters, teachers, drillers,engineers, welders, computer pro-grammers and analysts.

Meanwhile, a majority of Filipinosworking in the Middle East prefer tostay where they are rather than besent back to the Philippines in theevent of a war in Iraq.

The primary reason given by the Fili-pino workers who opted to stay wasthat they wanted to keep their jobs toensure continued financial support fortheir families in the Philippines. (Internet Inquirer, 8 Feb 2003; Philippine

Star 2 Feb 2003)

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1110


OFW NEWSOFW NEWSOFW NEWSOFW NEWSOFW NEWScont’dcont’dcont’dcont’dcont’d

Exodus of Filipinoteachers to US

Filipino teachers may soonoutnumber Filipino medical workersin the United States with the exodusof Filipino educators expected toheighten this year.

Former labor attaché to the UnitedStates Helen Custodio said that whilethe US government has restricted thequota for foreign nurses, it isplanning to hire 2.2 million foreignteachers in the next 10 years toaddress the shortage of educators inboth public and private schools.

“Since the 9-11 terrorist attacks, theUS government has been veryselective in giving immigrant visasbut it is willing to give even temporaryvisas so foreign teachers could behired,” Custodio said.

“Some of the states are alreadydoing away with the licensureexamination so they couldimmediately fill in the need forteachers while others are hiringsubstitute teachers, who may also behired as regular teachers afterpassing the licensure examination,”she added.

Custodio explained that 65 percent ofthe teachers in the United States arealready eligible for retirement in thenext five years, thus the immediateneed to hire more foreign teachers.

She added that many Americansconsider teaching as a low payingjob and risky because schools arelocated in inner cities.

The Philippine Overseas LaborOffice (POLO) in Washington hasidentified six states with severeshortage of teachers — Maryland,

California, Nebraska, Texas,Kentucky and Massachusetts.

Custodio said that particularly indemand are science, math andspecial education teachers as well asschool superintendents andprincipals.

The Philippine government is nowworking on forging a memorandum ofunderstanding with the USgovernment so that more Filipinoteachers will be recruited to workthere. (Philippine Star, 1 Jan 2003)

Ex-maids teachers onceagain

CAUAYAN CITY - Maryfe Lacambra,27, no longer holds a broom and arag to go to work. Lacambra, aformer maid in Hong Kong, nowprepares her daily lesson plans toface Isabela children who are eagerto learn at the Cauayan NorthCentral School here.

Lacambra is among the overseasFilipino workers who have returnedto participate in the government’s‘’Balik Turo” program.

Under the program, about 1,000OFWs with education degrees havereturned to the country to apply forteaching positions in elementary andhigh schools in various parts of thecountry. Education UndersecretaryRamon Bacani signed the permanentappointments of the OFW-teacherslast December. (Philippine Inquirer, 1

Feb 2003)

Migrant workforcean edge for RP’

A huge overseas work force hasbecome a competitive advantage forthe Philippines amid the graying ofthe populations of developedcountries, according to top Filipinobusinessman and Ayala Corp.president and chief executive officerJaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. Hedismissed the “outdated” view thatthe export of maids, merchantseamen, construction workers andprofessionals as a “brain drain” or to

look on the migrant workers as “slavelabor.”

About seven million Filipinos workabroad, sending home about $8billion last year to the impoverishedSoutheast Asian nation of 80 million.

“The OFW (overseas Filipinoworkers) contribution to our economytoday is truly awesome,” said Zobelde Ayala, the head of the country’sbiggest conglomerate, in a speech tobusinessmen.

Their earnings are nearly as much asthe entire agriculture sector andabout half the country’smanufacturing output.

“We are now seen as a trailblazer ineffectively deploying our workers -both skilled and semi-skilled - invirtually every part of the world. Andwe have now surpassed Mexico asthe chief source of migrant labor inthe world,” he said.

He said the international labormarket was now putting a premiumon the kind of skills the Philippinescan supply, helped in part by theaging of the population in manydeveloped countries.

But Zobel de Ayala warned thePhilippines could not always take thisniche in the international market forgranted. “We must strive to raise ourgame and put our OFW programleagues away from our competitors –not just in terms of the skills that theyoffer but also in terms of the supportsystem that they receive fromgovernment and our traininginstitutions.”

The government should startprofessionalizing and modernizingthe training and deployment ofworkers going overseas. The laboragencies were now dominated by aloose amalgamation of “mom-and-pop” type operators.

He urged President Arroyo to adoptan internationally recognizedaccreditation system and explorelinks with highly reputableinternational institutions to open upmore opportunities and better pay forPhilippine workers. (Philippine Star, 16

Jan 2003)

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1111


Pre-Publication Announcement

A PHOTOBOOK ONFILIPINO SEAFARERS

This is a special project of PSAP that will be launched in 2003. It will feature

hundreds of color photographs recently taken as well as professionally

captured images collected over a period of many years. The photographs were

exclusively commissioned by PSAP. It is a book that will surely be a treasure

to keep.

PSAP’s photobook collection consists of pictures that speak a million words!

(Does this picture look familiar? It served asthe back-cover to the published “Programmeof Action to Promote the Welfare and Protectthe Rights and Interests of the Filipino Seafar-er inthe 21st Century” of June 2002. Taken inMay last year, this picture has already circu-lated around the world, and has been freelyused and borrowed by many internationalpublications.)

ABANGAN ANG PSAP PHOTOBOOK !

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1112


US port security tightenedfurther

In a new move to combat terrorism,the United States will soon start torequire shippers of cargo containersfrom all ports outside the US toprovide US Customs with manifestinformation 24 hours before acontainer is loaded on board a vesselfor shipment to the US.

“This will enable us to analyze theinformation and identify potentialterrorist threats before the vesselsails, not after it arrives,” said USCustoms Commissioner RobertBonner.

Philippine Transportation andCommunications Secretary LeandroMendoza said he welcomed anymove to make port facilities,including terminals and containers,safe and secure.

Mendoza added that the 21 membercountries of the Asia-PacificEconomic Cooperation will meet atSubic in May this year to specificallydiscuss port security.

Bonner said the implementation ofthe 24-hour rule – which started onFeb. 2 – will help ensure the successof a Container Security Initiative(CSI) currently, or about to be,implemented in many ports aroundthe world including China, Japan andSingapore.

CSI is a US Customs Serviceinitiative to prevent containerizedshipping, which is the primarysystem used in global trade, frombeing exploited by terrorists. High-risk cargo containers arepre-screened for terrorist weapons atthe port of departure instead of theport of arrival.

Under the new 24-hour rule, USCustoms will deny permits to unloadin the US if there is no descriptionand if Customs was not providedwith the data 24 hours before theloading of that container, Bonnersaid.

Ten countries representing 17 of thetop 20 ports that ship cargocontainers to the US have agreed toand are implementing the CSI,Bonner said. They run containersthrough radiation detection scanners.Sixty-eight percent of all cargocontainers that arrive in the USoriginate from or are shipped throughthese 20 ports.

Ports that are implementing the CSIare Hong Kong, Shanghai,Singapore, Rotterdam (Netherlands),Bremerhaven (Germany), Tokyo,Genoa (Italy) Yantian (China),Antwerp (Belgium) Nagoya, LaHavre, Hamburg (Germany), LaSpezia (Italy), Felixstowe (England),Algeciras (Spain), Kobe andYokohama. (Philippine Star 17 Jan 2003)

U.S. goes after FOCs:15 freighters believed linked

to al Qaeda

U.S. intelligence officials haveidentified approximately 15 cargofreighters around the world that theybelieve are controlled by al Qaeda orcould be used by the terroristnetwork to ferry operatives, bombs,money or commodities over the highseas, government officials said.

Concerned about the vulnerabilitiesof American shipping since Sept. 11,2001, U.S. officials have startedpaying more attention to what cargois loaded onto ships entering U.S.

waters, and to who serves on crews.

In addition, U.S. intelligenceagencies have set up large databasesto track cargo, ships and seamen in asearch for “anomalies” that couldindicate terrorists on approachingships.

Now Navy and Coast Guardintelligence have the unenviable jobof sorting through the corporatepapers of the world’s 120,000merchant ships, many of which hidetheir ownership under layers ofcorporate subterfuge — a centuries-old practice in a trade that thrives onlax regulation and independencefrom governments. U.S. intelligenceofficers also must collate the namesand mariner’s license numbers oftens of thousands of seamen fromaround the world, a sizablepercentage of whom carry fakedocuments and use pseudonymsbecause of criminal pasts.

Another new preoccupation for U.S.intelligence is the thousands ofmerchant ships worldwide that areregistered in “flag of convenience”nations, some of which ask foralmost no information from shippingfirms that “flag” their vessels withthem. Belize allows companies toregister vessels online, for example,and countries such as Comoros, andSt. Vincent and the Grenadines —and even landlocked Bolivia —barely keep track of their ships, U.S.officials said. Flag-of-conveniencevessels are notorious for catching fireand running aground, and theiroperators frequently abandon crewsin foreign ports without pay. Scoresof these ships have been foundillegally running guns and drugs.(Washinton Post, 31 Dec 2002)

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1113


Kami Namang Mga Babae...

Josie Morilla Pulmano

“Home is in your heart”

It is always a wish, a desire, alonging, to be home. Especiallyduring the Christmas season,seafarers dearly wish to be home.They yearn to eat home-cookeddishes, and relish those sweets andChristmas season delicacies. Homeis imagined as festive foods on awarm table surrounded by familyand loved ones. To many Filipinoseafarers, the Christmas longing forhome is a longing felt deep in thestomach!

But where is home?

There is also a longing for home thatis not only felt during Christmas butalso during the rest of the year. Allworking parents feel this longing.This longing resides in the heart. It isa longing that is captured in theprayer and the praise, “Thank youGod, I’m finally home”.

When we are far away from ourloved ones, it is always our prayer,that the Lord will be there with ourchildren, or with our spouse. Andwhen we are away at work, we lookforward to finishing the day’s workand come home afterwards, and bewith our family, close together.

What not to bring home

For working moms and dads, there isa tendency to take home thepressures and troubles of theworkplace. The home becomes areceiving pot of disturbances, andthe family is surely affected. Whatis then to be done? Parents must

pause for moment to think, and totake time to consider theconsequences of bringing home theirproblems at work. The solution issimply to relax and lighten up, anddo one’s best to smile. The reasonfor this is that one is already homeand in that atmosphere everyone hasto feel “at home” with one another.If we are at home, there is joy feltinside, the kind of joy that we realizewhen we open our eyes eachmorning to a bright new day. Thatfeeling or attitude of joy needs to beactivated and kept alive all day long.Of course, the very first step to betaken is to make the decision not tobring home the problems of theworld and leave those problems inthe workplace.

Mom at home

How about for mothers who do workat home? Do they have a separateworld of work? How does ahousewife separate her home fromher world of work? The answer issimple. Mothers and housewivesshould just do their HOME WORKS.Doing our chores is often not easyespecially if we are working moms.However, it is a privilege to be amother and a housewife. It requireshard work, patience and love. Italways requires humour. But themost wonderful thing is that all thesechores are quite rewarding.

Take for example the work of amother to attend to her children. Imyself have teenagers, and there aretimes when I am not sure how to

react to their reasonings and excuses.If I was egoistic and insist that as aparent, I have to obeyed all the time,I will probably end up constantlyangry and, as a result, I will never beat home with my kids. Either theyignore my angry attitude or theybecome rebellious. So I have tothink: my children need a best friendand that best friend is me; I shouldgive them guidance especially whenmy husband is far away; it is myresponsibility to create anatmosphere as though their fatherwas always with us. And then thefun comes in. I engage in humorousconversation with my kids. And Igive out orders with a flavour ofhumour. Soon, they will be saying “Iam sorry, mom” or “Thank you,mom”. Really, it’s all aboutrelationships that begin and end athome.

Seafarer-husbands and homes

And what about our relationship withour husbands? Oh, how we wished itwas always a treat of romance, isn’tit? I know that couples have to haveromance. We need to enjoy eachother and to preserve our intimacy,but these are often forgotten becauseof the pressures of work. But whydon’t we see outside pressures as thesame force that pushes us to find ourhubby buddy, a shoulder to lay ourheads on, a home where we findunity and love?

I would like to relate some storiesabout how seafarers and their wives“feel at home” in each other’s

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1114


company. These stories tell us aboutlessons to be learned in the art ofhome-building, or the art of keepingthe pressures of work away fromhome.

Story 1: Who’s the boss at home?

The first is the story of the ChiefEngineer I met in Rotterdam. Whenhe went home to the Philippines, hesays that he continuously felt he wasruining the position of his wife in thehousehold. His wife was used asbeing the manager, the boss at homewhile he is away. In other words, shegave the commands. But when hecame home, he thought he was therightful head of the house, and hestarted to assume general command.In giving all kinds of orders, heprobably thought he was just helpinghis wife to discharge herresponsibilities. But it looked morelike a coup d’etat, and quarrellingbroke out. The wife was very angry,saying he shouldn’t displace herauthority because the flow ofcommand at home was already well-established. In the end, our ChiefEngineer had to submit: he was notallowed to clean the yard and trimthe plants that were over-crowdingthe surrounding. He was not evenallowed to touch the plants becausethey were hers. At a certain moment,he said, he was in a state of shock.He did not know how to be ahusband and a father; he did notknow how to feel at home! As far asthe wife is concerned, it seems likeshe took her world of work tooseriously, and did not really give herhusband a well-deserved “welcomehome”. My advice to her would havebeen, “Relax lang, kumare. Feel athome!”

Story 2: Home but not really home

The next story was told by ahousewife. She was narrating herhusband’s home-coming. Of course,she was so excited to hear that herhusband was coming home soon.When he did came home, he did notutter a word of love nor a single

It is not fair toyour partner

that you treatyour home as

someextension ofyour world of

work.

caring expression. Instead, he issueda warning to everybody, saying“Now I am home at last, and as youall know, I did hard work: I did a lotof cooking and cleaning on board myship. So here at home, I don’t wantto do any cooking and cleaning. Iwant just to relax and enjoy myvacation.” It is clear that this seamanbrought along a heavy load of hiswork when he came home. He mightachieved physical relaxation duringhis vacation, but he was not homewith his family, because they couldnot have felt “at home” with him.

Story 3: Home alone 3

The last story was relayed to me by ahousewife who said that when herhusband came home she was sothankful because she was due todeliver her baby. After a safedelivery, she expected her husbandto help around. Unfortunately, shewas disappointed because herhusband was rarely there to help withthe baby. Once, she asked herhusband to change the pampersbecause she was busy with someother chores. The husband repliedthat it’s not his job to take care of thebaby. He added that he was alreadyproviding for the family and that washis main job. He took off with hisrooster and went cockfighting. Thewife told me she has never felt soalone, and cursed that it would havebeen better if her husband did notcome home. Again, this is a case of awife not feeling at home with herhusband, because the husband had

Are there seafarers who can directlyidentify with the characters in thestories above?

I know that there are many seamenwho have the same attitude as theseamen pictured in the last twostories. They might not like me fortelling them this, but I have to tell itto them anyway: It is not fair to yourpartners that you treat your home assome extension of your world ofwork. When you’re home, be manenough to take responsibility forcreating a home. When you do gohome, make sure everyone aroundyou can really “feel at home” withyou. And if you cannot be physicallyat home, you can be “at home” bycalling long distance. Thankgoodness the latest communicationtechnologies can help you make yourfamily feel “at home” with you, justwith a simple call. A father canalways talk to his children and cheerthem up with his voice, and ahusband’s words of comfort to hiswife is irreplaceable.

When a seafarer shows consistentlove and concern to his family underany circumstances, he is at homewith them, and they are at home withhim. He has found his home. And hishome is in his heart.

not found a home in his own heart.

Conclusion: Go home!

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1115


Engineer Felix Pulmano

Ship Visiting and Christmas Investigations

It is full of fun and it is fulfilling, meeting many people fromdifferent races and nations. This is what the vocation ofship visiting is all about.

Since I became a ship visitor, I discovered many thingsthat can make this vocation really fun and fulfilling. First ofall, as a seafarer myself, I know that a “good ship visitor”is one who is good from the point of view of the seafarers.Very often, it is not the judgment or impression of the shipvisitor that matters, but the impression of the visited crewtowards the ship visitor what really counts. So I makesure that when I visit a ship, I know exactly what to say,and how to behave.

Thus, ship visiting is not just climbing a gangway of 50to100 steps to say ‘hello’ to the fellows onboard.Seafarers know that many ship visitors are really vendors,making contact with seafarers to promote this or that kindof business, trying to sell something to them. Thebusiness-oriented ship visitor is so common that manyseafarers immediately assume that the next ship visitor isanother salesman or saleswoman. Even when I show myPSAP I.D. during my ship visits (no matter how good-looking my picture is!), some seafarers are guarded andwary, and want to make sure if I have business motives.Others become directly inquisitive, asking “what are yougoing to sell”? For me, it is a pity that many ship visitorsclimb on board just to explore a whole array of businessopportunities. Often, their presence on board is not reallywelcome by seafarers. They are just tolerated.

Seafarers are smart people. They know that anothercategory of ship visitors do come on board. These are theship visitors who are doing plain and simple not-for-profitservice. This is the tradition of ship visiting that wasstarted by the church missions. Their agenda is simply togive company to seafarers and get to know seafarers asthey are. They are the ship visitors who are concernedabout the welfare and well-being of the crew. They listento their needs, if any, and pay attention to the stories ofthe seafarers. When they leave the ship, both the shipvisitor and the visited crew feel a sincere sense ofbelongingness to each other. They are no longerstrangers to each other. When this happens, there isreally fun and fulfillment for all concerned. To the ship

visitor, service is its own reward. Unfortunately for manyseafarers, the group of ship visitors dedicated to genuineservice forms a minority. As I said, the majority of shipvisitors today are self-interested business people. Someof these business people even go to the extent ofpretending at first to be service-oriented ship visitors, andeven quote the bible to show their purpose, only to showtheir true colors later.

Christmas is, of course, a time when the two types of shipvisitors clearly come out in the open. On the one hand,the business-oriented ship visitor sees Christmas as atime to make more profits, either by getting a seasonalshare of the hard-earned income of seafarers or by usingthe idea of “seafarers’ Christmas needs” to promote anarrow selfish agenda. The service-oriented ship visitor,on the other hand, sees the need to bring the Spirit ofChrist(mas) close to the seafarer, who is away from homeduring the yuletide season.

I did some ship visits last Christmas (2002), and I wouldlike to write about the particular needs and sentiments ofseafarers that were brought to my attention. These needsand sentiments are practical, giving an importantmessage to those who are in the vocation of ship visiting.These needs and sentiments teach a lesson and can besummarized in three words: Christmas church services.

Seafarers, especially Filipino seafarers, feel a great needor a great passion and conviction to participate in somechurch service during Christmas. We may call it theirChristmas wish: how they wished they could attendchurch services to celebrate Christmas. Fortunately,PSAP was in a position to help many of these seafarersfulfill their wish. But many others were not so lucky.

Let me describe the situation of the seafarers:

(1) One group of seafarers said: “We would have wantedto attend mass more piously, if only the priests or theministers could reach us and understand our conditions.Conditions such as fast turn around of ships give us verylimited time in port. This year especially, we are beingdeprived of shore leave due to constant threats ofterrorism, stricter immigration policy, and tightened port

cont’d on next page

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1116


security. We are discouraged from going to church. Wehardly go on shore.”

(2) Another group says: “We arrived in the port midnightof the 24th – Christmas eve. How we deeply desired to goto a Christmas mass. But how could we attend church ifthe seamen’s centers in Rotterdam are closed. They areclosed on the 24th, the 25th, the 26th, and on New Year’sday. In other countries, seamen centers are closed, too,but then the moment we arrive some concretearrangement with the management of these seamen’scenters is made, and they open the place to us. Apartfrom the seamen’s centers, we don’t know where to goexactly. Thanks to some PSAP volunteers who openedup their homes to us.”

(3) According to another crew: “We are devout churchgoers and would like to go to church regularly. But thetransportation is not feasible. Our ship is berthed 45kilometers away from the city, and it takes long time towait for a taxi, and when the taxi turns up the fare isdoubled because of the holiday season.”

(4) Still from another crew: “We will be more excited toattend church service if we know that after the service, weare able to meet people and go somewhere else, not goback to the ship immediately. After all, one of thefunctions of the church service is for fellowship. We arenot comfortable being seen as strangers and regarded asunseen and unrecognized visitors during church service.”(5) And another group agreed: “It is always very good tolisten to a priest or minister who does not give a boringChristmas message and instead talks about pressing

issues of the day. Some priests just keep on saying“peace and goodwill” in their sermon. But if our Captaindoesn’t observe Christmas and there is even noChristmas dinner or party of some sort, we are not atpeace. We are not also at peace if we cannot call home,maybe due to unavailability of the lines – the whole worldis calling long distance on Christmas eve.”

(6) Inspite of being tired and fatigued the day before, the26 crew of one ship celebrated mass on board with zealand vigor. Many in this crew made a similar remark: “It’sreally very significant and we have a very good feelingafter the spiritual service, especially during this season ofthe year. We are assured that our faith was celebratedand revered to its foundations. The onset of New Yearhas brought good tidings of hope, peace and joy - aseveryone has wish for”.

(7) After a mass onboard, traditional Filipino food wasserved to the 75 Filipino crew. There was a fiestaatmosphere with Philippine folk and international musicbeing played. PSAP brought along telephone cards andmobile phones to enable some crew members to callhome. To our big surprise, the merriment that PSAPbrought onboard was reciprocated by the merriment thatthe crew shared to us. Fun and laughter filled the air.Everyone was feeling at home – away from home.Feeling “being at home” deep in everyone’s heart: that isthe “Merry” and the “Happy” in Christmas and New Year.

SHIP VISITING, by Engr. Pulmano

Mag-ingat lang po tayo sa Rotterdam.

Maraming magnanakaw ang nagpapanggap na pulis.

PSAP has received many complaints and calls for help againstimpostors who trick seafarers and rob them of their monies andvaluables. The modus operandi: 2-4 strangers accost you and claim theyare policemen in civilian clothes. They will ask for your identification/passport and scare you with questions. Then they will demand to checkfor other documents and get hold of your wallet - and your money. Bealert. Help the authorities catch these criminals.

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1117


PROFILES ON THE HOMEFRONT

The Filipino Seafarers’ Family Caregiver OrganizationIn November 2002, Parola staff member Josie Pulmano went on mission to the Philippines to accomplish linking andnetworking tasks on behalf of PSAP. In Cebu, she was received by the Filipino Seafarers’ Family CaregiversOrganization, a PSAP partner organization. Josie filed this report. The photos below show the FSFCO in action.

The Filipino Seafarers’ Family CaregiverOrganization, is a Cebu-based association thatis dedicated to promoting the welfare ofseafarers’ families and their immediatecommunities. It was originally formed bymaritime students who were concerned about thesocial care of seafarers and their families,but was expanded include a wide network ofhousehold and community organizations. It’scurrent membership consists of families whosefathers, sons or daughters are, or have been,affiliated with the seafaring profession.The Organization’s vision is “a spiritually-

empowered and member-centered organization” that has at its core the Filipino Seafarers’Family. “Compassion” “rights”, “inspiration”, “verve-giving”, “spreading correct information”,and “decent livelihood” are some of the key words that are contained in the principlesgoverning the Organization.

From the point of view of the members, theOrganization is there to (1) help assistseafarers and their families in the personaland spiritual growth, (2) inform seafarers’wives of their rights, (3) give assistance inshepherding seafarers’ children; (4) givepsychological and social assistance and/orspiritual direction to seafarers and theirfamilies left behind through counselling, and(5) take care of the sick and the lonely inthe maritime community.

These objectives have clearly been translatedinto specific activities that are as varied asthey are meaningful. Thus the Organization hasseminar workshops on topics like personalitydevelopment, entrepreneurship, simplebookkeeping/budgeting, and food preservation;it carries out free dental and medicalclinics, done primarily by family members inthe medical profession; seafarer’s wives haveregular recollections; hospital visitations

are carried out; prayer brigades are commonly formed; seafarer’s children have been organizedinto local chapters; and there are assistance services provided by professionals counsellorsand career advisers.

In the near future, the Organization plans to set up its own office, expand its training andseminar programme, and strengthen its outreach projects. The Organization also intends to setup a seafarer’s cooperative and develop business plans to sustain livelihood undertakings.Contact person: Mrs. Lourdes Ceniza – President, FSFCO, Inc.

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1118


The Stella Maris Seafarers Center in Davao:A Home Away from Home

PORT RECEPTION AROUND THE WORLD

EDITOR’S NOTE: This report was filed by Parola Staff Member Nonoy Ty. Do you have a memorable experience of “home awayfrom home” in any one of the seafarers’ centers you have visited lately? Is there a seafarer’s center somewhere in the world thathas truly impressed you? Share your stories in Parola. Tell your fellow Pinoy seafarers what you would like to see in a seafarers’center.

I arrived in Davao City onDecember 23. Along with myfamily, I proceeded to the StellaMaris Seafarers’ Center.

This was a second time for me tosee the Center. Although, myfirst visit there was rather short,the place left me with a deepimpression. The Centre’sbeautiful building is located in themidst of ports of Davao. With itscozy receiving rooms andcomfortable guest quarters, theCenter was a perfect place tostay. The Center staff - Rosy,Virgie and Lisa – were especiallyalways accommodating. Thistime, I stayed there for threedays.

The Center is a great place to befor seafarers. One day, a group ofChinese sailors walked in, andwas greeted warmly by the staff.Two of them went directly to thecool box to pick-up some drink,while others sat behind the barand switched on the karaoke-TV

readying to amuse themselveswith music. I learned from thestaff that this was just the secondtime for the crew to visit theCenter. Striking a conversationwith our Chinese friends waseasy, even if the English we usedwent topsy-turvy. In all my 18years of work in the port ofRotterdam, where I met a lot ofseafarers coming from variousnationalities, including someChinese, I never engaged in somuch talk to Chinese sailors!

Later in the evening, moreseafarers came to the Center. It

is easy to notice that all thevisitors of the Center freely movearound, and make themselvescomfortable. Some visiting sailorseven assist the staff in shoppingfor groceries and others did thecooking as a contribution to theon-going Christmas celebration inthe Center. Anyone who joins thecompany of sailors that eveningwould feel truly welcome. It wastheir Center, and seafarersopenly and proudly acknowledgethe great fun of being in “ourCenter”.

On the 24th and 25th ofDecember, the Center staff madesure that the Center was openand available to seafarers. Thestaff of course celebratedChristmas at their own homeswith their own families, but theytook care that seafarers at portwere also able to celebrate andenjoy their Christmas at theCenter.

The Stella Maris Seafarers Centre, Davao City

Fr. Jack Walsh, Director of the Center,officiating a Christmas Mass on boardthe Filipina Princess, Davao City

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1219


For those of us living and working abroad, one of themost wonderful things we look forward to is going home.Even just the thought of going home makes us thrilledand excited. And when we finally find ourselves in theairport, waiting to board the plane, we become occupiedwith all kinds of imagined scenes and feelings, from thelonging to be reunited immediately with relatives andloved ones, to realizing the things we have planned to doat home.

In my many years of working with Filipino seafarers, Ihave seen and shared the joy and happiness which flood amariner’s spirit when he heads for home. Often, I am toldby our friends that they can already sniff the adobo naniluluto na ni misis even before the plane takes off. Andnot a few have told me of the strange experienceinvolving their luggage: they feel they are carrying a veryheavy hand-luggage everytime they leave for abroad,even when their bag is almost empty in fact, but whenthey are homebound, a 50-kilogram carry-on bag isindeed very light

Perhaps times have changed. Today’s going-homeexperience is no longer as good and as exciting asyesterday’s going-home. My two recent visits to thePhilippines, the first one on an official trip to the NationalSeafarers Convention in Manila last September, and theother, a trip with my family during the Christmasholidays, challenged me to make a deep reflection on theseafarer’s experience of homecoming.

I was waiting for my turn at the check-in desk in Schipholairport last September when I met several Filipino sailors.They queued ahead of me and were checking-in theirheavy-looking bags, some of them weighing up to 20kilos beyond what was allowed. I was surprised that theairline personnel did not charge for excess baggage fees,and simply issued boarding cards to the seafarers. Withgreat interest, I enjoyed watching the friendly treatmentof our sailors being treated like VIP’s. I learnedafterwards that Filipino seafarers contributed big-time tothe airline industry after the September 11, 2001 disaster.For many airlines, business dramatically declined after 9-11 with many tourists and passengers postponing orcancelling flights. Filipino sailors, however, continued totravel by air in their thousands, going all over the worldto fulfil their contracts. That was part of their profession!No wonder that in Manila airport, there is a specialcounter for departing sailors, and sometimes here inEuropean airports too, sailors are treated like VIP’s.

On the outside, VIP treament for their homecoming! Butwhat was really going on in the minds of these seafarers?

The Lost Joy of Homecoming

Disturbed and enraged

About an hour before boarding time, I had chance to chatwith the seafarers. Not one minute passed in ourconversation when I noticed the deep disturbance andanxiety of two young officers in the group. No, they werenot talking about their homesickness and their longing tobe home. They were worried, bothered, and upset aboutso-called “training requirements”. They felt greatlydisturbed about THE NEXT training requirements thathave been imposed on them by their agency or thegovernment. They were not really going home. Theywere going home to suffer under more trainingrequirements.

They told me how helpless sailors were against theseexcessive and mostly unnecessary trainings. Theyrealized that the training scheme imposed on them is nothelping them at all in their work, but was in fact a bigburden. Because of these trainings, there was limitedtime, or else no time at all, for vacation. Instead ofspending their home leave for their families and friends,homecoming time was mostly spent on trainings. Thefinancial costs were also very very high, particularly forseafarers coming from the provinces who go to Manila orother main cities for the trainings.

The same topic and the same anxiety were shared to meby another group of sailors who I met at the airportduring my second trip to Manila. I was astonished when asecond officer told me that he did not aspire to be a chiefmate or captain anymore. That was also my third time tohear from a second officer who says he had lost allambition to become a senior officer. It was very clear tohim from what he saw from his senior officers that thehigher one’s rank, the higher price one has to pay –financially, socially and psychologically. As with the firstencounter, the mood during my second homecoming withseafarers was not a good one. Different faces, but withthe same facial expressions of anger and helplessness.

Many of our seafarers are really so fed up with trainingrequirements. And to add insult to injury, the system isseen as full of corruption. Although seafarers welcometraining requirements that will upgrade their skills, therewas just too much oppression in the system.

What a homecoming it must be for many seafarers.Theirs is a homecoming with no sense of rest andwelcome.

When we were called to board the plane, the secondofficer gave me his address and made a parting remark:“Sir, maybe you know somebody in higher up, pleasebring our plea”.

Nonoy Ty

STCW BLUES

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1220


Sino ang nag tulak?!

Isang marino galing Iloilo, matagal ng tambay.Sumakay ng barkong papuntang Maynila. Dahilsa maganda ang panahon, dagsa angpasahero, at sa karamihan - isang dalagitamedyo may kalikutan at gustong mag yabangsa kanyang mga kasamahan ay umakyat attumulay sa “railings” ng barko at may pakanta-kanta pa. Kaso, biglang nadulas at nahulog satubig. Nag sigawan ang mga taong nakakita.Saklolo! May nahulog! Sagipin nyo! Biglakamong may tumalon at sinagip ‘yong dalagita.Palakpakan ang mga tao.

Ipinatawag yong taga pagligtas ng Kapitan atipinakilala sa ama ng dalagitang nahulog.Ipinakilala ng kapitan sa ama ang seaman nanagligtas sa dalagita at sinabihan ng Kapitanang ama na siya na ang bahalangmagpasalamat. Bilang pasasalamat ng isangama at sinabing, “Iho, maraming salamat saiyo sa pagkakaligtas mo sa anak ko. Kayahumiling ka nang kahit ano, ipagkakaloob ko saiyo. Dahil mayaman ako”. Tugon naman ngmarinong taga pagligtas, “Hindi ko kailanganang kayamanan. Ang gusto ko lang malamankung sino ang nag tulak sa akin!”

from Kuleksyong Marino - Port of Amsterdam

Instead of joining his family for a traditionalChristmas dinner, a hunter, dismayed by thecommercialism of Christmas, decided to go hunting,.He went deep into the woods and there spotted abig deer munching grass on the nearby lane. As heaimed his rifle, a big bear approached him frombehind. He was about to pull the trigger when thebear made a loud growl. Slowly turning around, hisface turned white, awe-stricken. The bear was justthree meters away. Although he was smitten byfear, he didn’t lose his senses. He jumped and runfor his life, dropping his rifle, and scurried quicklyinto the woods.

A wild chase ensued. The hunter run as fast as hecould, and a determined bear pursued behind. Itcame to a dead end for the hunter when he foundhimself near the edge of a cliff. He was corneredand had nowhere to go. No way can he survive ajump off the cliff. As the bear approached, thehunter, who was now the hunted, realized there wasno way out.

In surrender, he went down to his knees and lookedup to at the sky. Joining his hands in prayer, hedeclared, “Please God, save me from this bear andfrom now on I will believe in Christmas, and I will joinmy family for a Christmas dinner.” Meanwhile, thebear just stared at hunter who was shaking andpraying loudly with his eyes closed, perhapsexpecting for a miracle. Then the bear, knelt in frontof the man and clasped his two huge paws to thesky, and cried aloud with joy, “God, you are reallysooooo good. Thank you very much for giving methe best Christmas dinner”.

from Kuleksyong Marino – Port of Rotterdam

The hunterand the bear

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1221


JOKES ONLY Continued

Isang port superintendent punanhik ng barko at

nakihalubilo sa mga tripulante at kalmadong

nangumusta,“O, mga bata, kamusta na ang

kalagayan n’yo ditto. Ayos ba ang palakad ditto?”

Bigla kamong sumabad yoong isang AB. “Eh, Sir,

hindi naman sa nagrereklamo ako pero, doon sa

kabilang barko na pinanggalingan ko open over time

kami at may bayad ang linis ng bodega, eh, dito

hindi.”

Sagot naman ng P. Superintendent, “Ilang buwan ka

na bang on board, iho?”.

Sagot naman ng AB, “Eh, magtatatlong buwan

palang ho.”

Sagot ng P. Superintendent, “Eh, magtatatlong

buwan lamang pala, eh. Tiis-tiis mo na lang muna.”

Biglang tayo naman yoong isang oiler at nagsabing,

“Eh, sir, paano naman yoong per diem namin sa

pagkain, hindi na ito nasusunod at tapos inalisan pa

kami ng rasyon sa pagkain sa mga guwardiyang

dose- kuwatro”.

Sagot naman ng P. Superintendent, “Ilang buwan ka

na rin ba iho?”.

Sagot naman ng oiler, “Eh, lagpas siyam na buwan

na ho, sir”.

Sagot naman ng P. Superintendent, “Eh, lagpas

siyam na buwan na pala, eh Tiis-tiisin mo na lang.

Eh, malapit na naman pala matapos ang contrata

mo”.

Naka! Wala talagang lusot!

from Norman Boron – Breda Shipyard

Tiisin mo na lang! (or, “Tiis for Peace”)

SHIP-TO-SHORE

GREETINGS cont’d

My Love, a Happy (9 yrs) Wedding Anniversary

to you, sweetheart. God knows how much I love

you. May the guidance of our Lord be with us

always.

Guilly M. Bathan – M/V Grand Panayiotis

Warm greeting to my beloved family: to my

beloved wife, Gemma, and to my children, Elma,

Maria Theresa, Edgar, Ramon III (congratulation

for passing the 3rd/Mate PRC Board) and to my

youngest daughter, Girlie (advance happy

birthday). Greetings to my grandchildren:

Eleanor, Joseph Ronald, Eliza, Carl Kevin and

Mark Ian, and to my son-in-law, Rudy. Greetings

to my beloved parents, to my brothers and to my

sister. I’m truly yours,

Eliodoro “ Teddie” P. Ranara – M/T Crown A

Greetings to all Sea Power employees, especially

to PJB.

Jhun M. of M/V Militos

My best greetings to the one I love in my whole

life, my sweetheart, inda. Love & care, Choy –

M/V Militos

Greetings to my love, my wife Precy, and my

daughter, Kim Abante. Love, Papa.

Tony Abante – M/V Militos

Special greetings to all friends and to our families.

Happy New Year to all.

From the Filipino crew of M/V Militos

From Mrs. Ma. Belinda O. Marquez: with love

to 4th/Engr. Mario R. Marquez of M/V Spring

Delight-Germany. The poem “Afraid of Losing

You” is dedicated to you.

Happy greetings to my loving and faithful wife,

Rosalinda; to my young and beautiful daughters,

Freesia & Jade; and to my kid son, Eric. Wishing

you all the best in the year 2003 and all the years

to come. Love and kisses,

Efren Ferrer – from the port of Fos, France

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1222


Greetings to you Mama and to all my kids this Christmas 2002, and all the best

for the coming New Year 2003. Happy Birthday to Jennalyn. Love from Papa.

Jun Vismanos

To my wife, Conchita Dabucol: Honey, my sincere greetings to you and to our

kids, Allan, Jun-jun, Eugene. Love,

Vicente Dabucol

Greetings to my loving wife, Daisy P.Mendero, for the past Christmas season

and a happy New Year to you and to our kids.

P. Mendero

From 3rd/Engr. Isidro Pinor of the M/V Golden Gate Bridge (who visited the

PSAP Office in Rotterdam) greetings to my family and my fellow crew. Thanks

for the Parola.

The world becomes smaller, the miles seem shorter, and communication is

getting faster. All these make it easier for me to express my deepest feelings

that I have kept throughout the years: A long belated happy wedding

anniversary and a belated happy birthday to my wife; my belated birthday

greetings to my daughter, Jan Jeush, my lonely heart. Happy birthday to Jor

Jene, and soon Jiko Jan will celebrate his birthday. Wishing that you all have

more birthdays to come and praying to the Lord to give thanks.

2/M Jonathan V. Aries – M/V Ikaria

cont’d on page 22

PHILIPPINE SEAFARERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME, ROTTERDAM

PSAP was founded in 1981 inRotterdam with the aim to support

Filipino seafarers in their struggle forbetter working and living conditions.

PSAP's Objectives

To contribute to seafarersawareness about their workers and

human rights.

To provide support and services toseafarers

To promote seafarers awareness onHIV/AIDS and other health related

issues

To enhance better cooperationamong seafarers of various

nationalities through better unders-tanding of each other culture.

Addresses:

PSAP RotterdamOostbroekweg 4,

3089 KL RotterdamThe Netherlands

Tel. 010-2400930Fax. 010-2400932

E-mail. [email protected]: psaponline.net

Centro Filipino-Seamen's DeskCalle Riera Vaja 6-4 0881

Barcelona, SpainKasapi Seafarers' Assistance

Program Labor Center of PiraeusSkylitsi 19, Piraeus, Greece

International Christian MaritimeAssociation(ICMA)

2/3 Orchard Place, SouthamptonS01 1BR England

Center for Seafarers' Rights241 Water Street, New York, NY

10038 Tel. 212-3499090Fax. 212-3498342

Printed by: Drukkerij Dizayn

ISSN: 1389-9465Editorial Staff

Josie PulmanoNonoy Ty

Peter Payoyo

Parola is published bi-monthly bythe Philippine Seafarers AssistanceProgramme(PSAP). PSAP is a non-

stock, non-profit foundation registeredin the Chamber of Commerce

no. S127664, Rotterdam,The Netherlands.

Subscribing to Parola is your wayof supporting the publication.

A year's subscription costs US$10.00.Send the amount to:

P S A POostbroekweg 43089 KL RotterdamThe Netherlands

Thank you for your support.

PH

ILIP

PIN

E S

EA

FAR

ER

S A

SSIS

TA

NC

E P

RO

GR

AM

ME

, R

OT

TE

RD

AM

See page 24, please...

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1223


I wasn’t in a hurry to let it show

That deep within me these feelings grow

I admit I’m afraid to let it show

‘Coz I swear I don’t want you to go.

I’ve realized love isn’t a funny way

Yet cheating my heart is harder to pay

I guess it will always be a “come what may”

And be contented to hope and pray.

Only that at times I wonder

How love works and how love becomes not

‘Coz when storms appear and madness arises

We almost deny that love exists.

Love fails and hatred remains

Fighting against something that is not there

Provoking ourselves to be cruel and selfish

No longer caring but hurting each other.

But this I say to you, my love

We still find ourselves having each other

Losing you would make my life wither

Winning you shall make me proud of you.

Afraid of Losing You

by: Mrs. Ma. Belinda Osias-Marquez

YES, I would like to receive a copy of Parolaregularly. Please send my copy to the name andaddress below.

Name:

Address:

PH

ILIP

PIN

E S

EA

FAR

ER

S A

SSIS

TAN

CE

PR

OG

RA

MM

E,

RO

TT

ER

DA

M

See page 23, please...

Parola's publication is madepossible with the help of the

ITF Seafarers' Trust.

Paralo116.pm 21-02-2003, 23:1224

macapagal signs absentee voting bill into la filera 9189 would allow some seven million filipinos,...

Documents