Filipino seafarers will now have a better chance at receiving anti-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) shots following the approval of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) proposal to include them on the priority list of the government’s mass vaccination program.
Transportation Sec. Arthur P. Tugade said the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Emerging Infectious Diseases approved the recommendation of the department to include seafarers as priority recipients in the vaccine rollout.
Tugade welcomed the IATF’s decision and recognized the vital role that the “silent workers” in the maritime sector play amid the global health crisis.
“This is a very good development for our maritime industry champions—our seafarers. Now, our Filipino seafarers will be given priority to be vaccinated," he said.
“Paulit-ulit ko pong inilalarawan ang ating maritime workforce bilang mga silent workers ng bayan (I've reputedly described our maritime workforce as silent workers of the country)…their contribution is as crucial as keeping the economy thriving. Not only are they frontliners, but they are undoubtedly heroes, too,” he added.
An Inter-Agency Working Group, headed by Transportation OIC Assistant Secretary for Maritime VADM Narciso Vingson Jr., was created to firm up the DOTr’s proposal to prioritize local seamen.
From falling under category B3 (Other essential workers) or B5 (Overseas Filipino Workers) in the Vaccination Priority Framework,
Specifically, the working group has requested for the reclassification of Filipino seafarers from B3 (other essential workers) or B5 (overseas Filipino workers) to A4 or frontline personnel in essential sectors.
This would place seafarers in the top 4 priority groups to be vaccinated, along with uniformed personnel and those in working sectors identified by the IATF as essential during ECQ.
To further determine the specific population to be prioritized, the working group classified seafarers into two—the top priority will be given to active seafarers or those with recorded sea service within the last three years, while new seafarers or those with last recorded sea service beyond 2018 shall be made second priority in this classification.
Based on data from the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA), there are a total of 549,000 active seafarers registered in their system, including around 497,000 who are deployed overseas and 51,000 serving locally.
Meanwhile, a total of 181,000 seafarers are without updated sea service within the last three years.
In summary, the DOTr said there are 730,651 Filipino seafarers who are for consideration in the A4 category.
Tugade said the prioritization of seafarers in the vaccination is based on the following grounds: Filipino seafarers are declared key workers globally and locally; Filipino seafarers are considered mobile, who, as part of their jobs, frequently enter various ports across the world; and shipping companies prefer their workforce to be vaccinated to ensure that their operations will remain smooth, unhampered, and somehow immune to the severe effects of COVID-19.