Angkla partylist: seafarers’ anchor

Angkla partylist: seafarers’ anchor
AMBASSADOR CARLOS SALINAS May 08, 2019 https://www.manilatimes.net/angkla-partylist-seafarers-anchor/551104/

There is not a shadow of doubt that the maritime sector drives economic growth and contributes to the national economy. Yet, over the years, the sector has had to advocate for itself just how much shipping transport could contribute to the growth of agriculture and manufacturing and other businesses, if we could only ensure its sustainability.

As far back as the 1950s, the maritime sector has been working with the government to encourage legislation for the development of the country’s maritime and seafaring industries. There were many challenges along the way, including provisions in maritime legislation that put a limit on things — whether these are incentives, like the laws on overseas shipping and domestic shipping; or programs, like the bareboat chartering program. The crucial question has been: what happens when the period for the incentives or the program is over? To address this in a timely manner has not always been easy.

Then in 1987, the new Constitution of the Republic paved the way for a strong representation of underrepresented sectors in Congress, through the party list. As we all know, the party-list representative must come from any one of the following sectors: labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women and youth. But the list in the Constitution is open-ended because the Philippine Congress, by law, can provide additional sectors.

In the early years of this new system, the maritime sector tried to seek representation in Congress. It was not until six years ago, or in 2013, that the sector finally won a party list seat through the Angkla Party List.

“Angkla” is the Filipino word for “anchor,” meaning a “device for securing ships to the ground under the water by means of cables.” To anchor means to fix or secure in a particular place. It was derived from the Greek word “ankyra,” meaning a hook. Through the years it has gained the figurative sense of stability and security.

Angkla came at a time when our maritime labor sector was facing a crisis. We needed to institute reforms so that we could integrate the various regulatory functions that were parceled out across many government agencies. Each agency exercised a little bit of regulation over the different aspects of education, training, examination, assessment, certification, licensing, and medical fitness of our seafarers. We needed to have a focal agency which could be in charge and stand as the face of the Philippines before other foreign maritime administrations who relied on Filipino seafarers to man their ships.

Angkla came into the picture to fill these needs and give voice to our seafarers and the countless individuals and families who depend on them. Its main objective is to ensure the sustainability and development of maritime employment, not just for the benefit of the seafarers and their families, but eventually of the country.
A novice in the lawmaking process and the workings of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Angkla nevertheless successfully maneuvered the passage of a law, six months into its first term in Congress, creating a single maritime agency for the effective implementation of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, or STCW Convention. Angkla has since moved on to push for other legislation to protect seafarers’ rights, among others.
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But Angkla’s most important role is the connection it forges between the maritime sector and Congress. It now serves as the maritime expert to representatives who want more information about the sector. It has expanded the scope of the bills it has filed to include measures that seek to strengthen our maritime sector and build a robust industry that will not only focus on seafaring but can venture into ship design, ship construction, ship operation, port operations, marine insurance, offshore operations, ship repair and ship recycling.

Human connection is empowering, when people set aside self-interests and work together to meet the needs and concerns of their coworkers, family, neighbors, members of the sectors they belong to, and the whole nation. A cohesive group that shares a commonality of blood or language or religion or history or culture or in our case, industry, and is committed to a shared vision, is stronger than a hundred individuals each working solo, even if for the same purpose. Japanese poet Ryunosuke Satoro said: “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” And we, the maritime sector, who has devoted our best years to those who sail across the ocean, know how powerful that is.