A group of manning agencies urged the national government to come up with solutions in addressing the limited inbound passenger capacity in Philippine airports and the insufficient quarantine facilities for returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
The Association of Licensed Manning Agencies Maritime Group (ALMA) maritime group, composed of 57 licensed manning agencies, asked for support from Senator Bong Go in its call to increase the inbound flight passenger limit and increase the quarantine facilities for arriving OFWs, particularly seafarers.
“Because of this inbound flight passenger limit, international flights flying into the country could only offer limited seating. And, to keep up with their operational expenses, airlines either increase their fares or prioritize selling the most premium and expensive seats, or simply cancel the flights,” the maritime group said.
Since the start of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the group said international flights in the country “can be randomly cancelled” leaving seafarers stranded and waiting for weeks and months as flights became available.
The maritime group said among the problems of seafarers encountered during this situation includes “mental health issues, additional personal expenses, fatigue, and exposure to COVID-19.”
“At the same time, only Filipino seafarers are faced with these issues also meant additional consequential costs to the foreign shipowners who are the job providers at sea,” the ALMA underscored.
The ALMA appealed to the government that instead of pushing budgeted funds to pay for quarantine rooms and transport, it should reduce the number of Filipinos coming back to the country invariably.
“The high cost of inbound flights significantly increases the cost of hiring Filipino crew. If the government maintains this strategy, our seafarers will lose their jobs onboard as principals continuously find more sustainable and cost-efficient means to operate (and man) their vessels – leaving the jobs of some 400,000 active Filipino seafarers at risk to be given out to other nationalities,” it added.