Pinoy seafarer wins IMO’s exceptional ‘Bravery Award at Sea’

Pinoy seafarer wins IMO’s exceptional ‘Bravery Award at Sea’
Carlos C. Salinas February 17, 2021 https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/02/17/business/maritime-business/pinoy-...

FROM THE DESK OF THE IMO AMBASSADOR

The late American poet Maya Angelou once said that “Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
Seafaring is one of the world’s most dangerous occupations, for which courage is an essential attribute. For one to have extraordinary courage in such a line of work deserves commensurate recognition. Today I wish to focus on the courageous act of a Filipino seafarer, Petty Officer Second Class Ralph Ofalla Barajan of the Philippine Coast Guard, who was conferred the 2020 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, for his courage, presence of mind, and decisiveness that saved 62 lives.

PO2 Barajan, who was PO3 at the time of the incident, was on board M/V Siargao Princess bound for Oslob, Cebu. He was off duty and was asleep when the sound of screams awakened him in the morning of November 7, 2019. He saw the vessel being battered by strong waves, off the coast of Sibonga, Cebu. Seeing the deck already flooding with seawater, Barajan persuaded the captain to give the “abandon ship” call, contacted the Coast Guard for immediate assistance, and swiftly took charge of the situation. He instructed and helped the passengers–including panicking elderlies and crying children–and crew members in donning their life jackets and led them in preparing for evacuation.

He assisted everyone in jumping off the vessel into waiting life rafts, encouraging terrified passengers to leap, making sure that no one was left behind. The Siargao Princess capsized and sank less than 10 minutes later.

Barajan also instructed the crew members to tie the rafts together so they would not drift apart, all this while floating in the water. He moved from raft to raft, making sure that everyone was all right. Then he helped in facilitating the search and rescue operations by the Coast Guard.

The Philippine Coast Guard promoted Barajan from Petty Officer Third Class to Petty Officer Second Class for his extraordinary feat, and nominated him for the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for his leadership and determination, even while he was off duty.

Meanwhile, two Brazilian pilots, Marcio Santos Teixeira and Fabio Rodrigues Alves de Abreu, members of the São Paulo Pilots, also won the 2020 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for averting a major oil spill event at the Terminal Almirante Barroso in São Sebastião Port.|

The annual IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea was established in 2007 to give international recognition to those who perform acts of exceptional bravery, “displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment. Such acts of bravery may also involve extraordinary skills in very difficult conditions or any other display of outstanding courage.”

For 2020, a total of 31 nominations were submitted by 18 Member States and two non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO. The nominations were evaluated by an Assessment Panel composed of representatives of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA), the International Salvage Union (ISU), the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF).

The Assessment Panel submitted its recommendations to a panel of Judges, made up of the Chairs of the Council and Committees of IMO, who selected the recipients of the Awards.

The awardee is invited to a special ceremony at IMO to receive a medal and a certificate citing the act of exceptional bravery performed.

There are three categories of honor: the Award itself, for the nominee judged to have performed the most outstanding act of bravery from among those nominated; certificates of commendation given to nominees who have committed acts of extraordinary bravery; and letters of commendation for the nominees deemed worthy of some special recognition for meritorious actions.

And now, the search is on for the 2021 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea awardees for exceptional acts of bravery performed at sea during the period March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021.

The nomination form may be submitted by any UN Member State, intergovernmental organization, or non-governmental international organization in consultative status with IMO.

Submissions are open until April 15, 2021.

Whatever our work is, let us give it the best we have to offer. Let us be inspired by the words of St. Francis of Assisi: “Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received–only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.”