FAME elects new officers, seafarer-focused projects eyed

FAME elects new officers, seafarer-focused projects eyed
December 15, 2021 https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/12/15/business/maritime/fame-elects-new...

Newly elected FAME president Capt. Gaudencio Morales
As soon as the new set of officers the Filipino Association for Mariners' Employment (FAME) was inducted, the group's new president, Capt. Gaudencio Morales has immediately proposed some changes in the nation's first and the biggest manning association.

The new officers and Board of Directors, who will serve the association for the next two years, 2022-2023, took their oath of office during the FAME Christmas Party held last December 10 via zoom with Administrator Bernard Olalia of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as a guest. Atty. Olalia likewise administered the oath of the new FAME officers, also virtually. In his first message to FAME members during the virtual gathering of the 47-year association, the newly-elected president proposed the creation of the Committee on Crew Welfare and Reintegration to add to FAME's five standing committees: Membership, Government, Legal and Legislative, Education, Training, Certification and Assessment, and Special Projects.

Justifying his proposal, Capt. Morales said: "FAME could be an effective vehicle and partner in the development and implementation of reintegration programs of the government that will not only provide Filipino seafarers alternative livelihood but also facilitate knowledge and skills transfer of expertise gained by our seafarers for the development of the domestic maritime industry."

He added that this kind of program "can also enlighten the minds of our seafarers that there are livelihood and business opportunities after their seafaring career, thereby erasing negative thoughts that may be detrimental to the manning industry and the Seafarers themselves in the end. This indicates that the manning association in the next two years would focus strongly on crew welfare even as it continues to promote Filipino seafarers' employment unabatedly.

Later in an interview, Capt. Morales, also president of the non-government group Integrated Seafarers of the Philippines, said that the problem of the proliferation of ambulance-chasing lawyers would not have turned from bad to worse if only some manning agencies have taken care of the crew's welfare. "Naiwasan Sana ang ambulance-chasing (Ambulance chasing could have been avoided)," he said.

Another proposal of Capt. Morales, who is also president of Astra Marine International, is for FAME to hold a strategic planning exercise to assess its gains in the past 47 years and define its future agenda "to better serve the Filipino seafarers and the manning industry." The other new elected executive officers of FAME are Ericson Marquez of Virjen Shipping as Vice President for External Affairs; Jose Albar Kato of Albar Shipping & Trading Corp., Vice President for Internal Affairs; Capt. Ronald Enrile of Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Secretary; and Carmen Rebusi of IMS Philippines Maritime Corp. as Treasurer.