After two years of lay-offs in the cruise ship industry due to Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) finally announced on Friday, August 19, the reopening of job offers coming from top local manning industries in the country.
DMW Secretary Susan Ople said local manning industries have assured job-hunters of more offerings for local seafarers due to a resurgence of demand in the cruise line industry.
In particular, Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, a leading local manning firm, will hire some 5,000 seafarers for various cruise ships in the next three months, according to Ople.
At present, Ople said one out of five international seafarers is a Filipino, adding that the local manning industry can meet the demand for Filipino seafarers.
“We are talking of employment for thousands of seafarers. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the industry sees sustained growth in demand for our maritime workers given the uncertainty in the Ukraine,” Ople said.
Ople noted that Ukraine is the sixth largest source of seafarers but its on-going conflict with Russia has forced shipping companies to look elsewhere, particularly in the Philippines.
The cruise line industry has recorded a resurgence in operations following a two-year break caused by the global pandemic.
Cruise ships resumed regular operations last year, and at present, about 74 percent of cruise lines and 90 percent of their total fleets are now back in operations.
Industry estimates project a 58-percent increase in new passenger volume as cruise travel normalizes. (Jun Marcos Tadios)