Monday, April 20, 2009
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THE Philippines is banning its seafarers from vessels that transit the pirate infested waters off Somalia. With 105 Filipino seafarers held hostage by Somali pirates, the world’s largest supplier of ship crew is banning its nationals from vessels that do not follow designated security corridors through the Gulf of Aden or sail close to the coast of Somalia.
“Over the [weekend], President Arroyo issued a series of directives banning the deployment of our seamen on the pirate-threatened sea lanes. Closer coordination with recruitment manning agencies and shipowners has been established,” Philippine government press secretary Cerge Remonde announced on state-run radio.
A statement from the office of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo said the Department of Labor had also issued a ban on Philippine vessels sailing through the Gulf of Aden or within 200 miles from the Somali coast.
How such a ban would be enforced is unclear. Just a week ago, Philippine government officials said they were unable implement a ban of seafarers on ships that sailed through the seas off Somalia as shipowners did not have to supply routings to manning agencies.
In 2004, the Philippines was unable to enforce a ban on its nationals working in Iraq.
An industry executive noted that the ban could cause massive upheaval in the industry if it is fully enforced.
In an effort to clarify the ban and its implementation guidelines, senior officials from the Philippine manning industry are meeting today with officials from the Department of Labor, the Philippines Overseas Employment Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President.
The Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of seafarers with over 250,000 nationals deployed on internationally traded vessels.
In addition to the ban, President Arroyo ordered the Department of National Defense to send liason officers to work closely with the US Navy fleet based in Bahrain.
The Philippine government has come under criticism at home for not doing enough to help rescue seafarers held hostage by Somali pirates.
Source: Lloydslist, April 20, 2009