Let me begin by commending two Filipino seafarers who were recently conferred with "Exceptional Bravery at Sea" awards through the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA). They are Capt. Melvin Villanueva of MV FLEUR N and Second Officer Lacruser Relativo of MV ANGELES.
Finally, after more than a year, maritime institutions have been given the go signal by President Duterte along with other schools to conduct limited face-to-face classes for qualified students of BS Marine Transportation (BSMT) and BS Marine Engineering (BSMarE) programs.
A Filipino seafarer who remains stranded in Fiji, New Zealand has exposed the illegal activities of the manning agency that sent them overseas and eventually abandoned them without pay.
The owners and managers of a tanker that left Cambodian waters containing around 300,000 barrels of oil say the crew are being held “in violation of their human rights”.
