seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

PH seafarers first to be ‘whitelisted’ under ILO convention
Raymond Carl Dela Cruz December 9, 2020 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124249

MANILA – The Philippines is now the first country to be officially ‘whitelisted’ under the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) revised Seafarers’ Identity Documents (SID) Convention, 2003 (ILO Convention No. 185) which permits the movement of seafarers all over the world.

False COVID-19 diagnosis forces cruise to return back to port
10/12/20 https://safety4sea.com/false-covid-19-diagnosis-forces-cruise-to-return-...

Following a possibly false COVID-19 diagnosis onboard Royal Caribbean Cruises ship, the vessel was forced to return to port of Singapore.

Namely, Quantum of the Seas was on a a four-day pleasure cruise with approximately 2.000 passengers onboard.

ILO seeks help for seafarers stranded by COVID-19
Matthew Lavietes, Thomson Reuters Foundation Dec 09 2020

Families of stranded seafarers and OFWs troop to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City on Friday, July 17, 2020, calling for dialogue in person after multiple online requests to the department for the repatriation of their relatives were unheeded. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Manning agency defends quarantine of seafarers
Raymond Carl Dela Cruz December 10, 2020 https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1124331

MANILA – An official of a manning agency, accused of holding over 400 seafarers in hotels within the city for about two months, said it was merely following government policies introduced during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

ILO Resolution Maintains Attention on Plight of Seafarers
12-09-2020 https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/ilo-resolution-maintains-atte...

Covid Scare on Cruise Ship Shows Perils of Resuming Tourism
Philip Heijmans, Kyunghee Park, and K Oanh Ha December 10, 2020 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-09/covid-on-singapore-cr...

INTERCARGO calls for seafarers to receive COVID-19 vaccine as a priority
10/12/2020 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/intercargo-calls-for-seafarers-to-r...

Following the worldwide news that vaccines for COVID-19 are now a reality, it is paramount that authorities give priority to seafarers in their vaccination programmes, says INTERCARGO, the organisation representing the world’s quality dry bulk shipowners.

Fidelity Calls for Urgent Action to Help Stranded Seafarers
Alastair Marsh (Bloomberg) December 9, 2020 https://gcaptain.com/fidelity-calls-for-urgent-action-to-stranded-seafar...

Fidelity International is calling for urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis and supply-chain risks caused by the more than 400,000 seafarers who are stranded aboard vessels and a similar number who remain ashore with little prospect for work or pay.

Sharp Crewing Services Establishes COVID-19 Test Site in Manila
December 8, 2020 https://www.maritimeprofessional.com/news/sharp-crewing-services-establi...

Philippines and Singapore-based crew specialist CF Sharp has established its own COVID-19 testing center in Manila to speed up its crew change process amid mounting coronavirus case counts and ongoing logistical challenges for seafarers and ship managers globally.

Filipinos seafarers and the ‘Good Samaritan at sea’ doctrine
ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO -| December 08,2020 https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/354082/filipinos-seafarers-and-the-go...

The recent story of American sailor who was rescued by Filipino seafarers may aptly be an application of the “Good Samaritan at Sea” doctrine or the obligation to render assistance at sea.