Marino Partylist to build dormitories for seafarers

Marino Partylist to build dormitories for seafarers
Mario Casayuran June 24, 2021 https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/24/marino-partylist-to-build-dormitories-for-s...

The MARINO Party-list, during the 47th anniversary of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), together with other key stakeholders in the maritime sector, agreed to contribute to the building of a dormitory for seafarers to ease their concerns about where to stay in Manila in between deployments.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), signed by dignitaries such as Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arturo Tugade, MARINO Party-list First Representative Sandro Gonzalez, and Doctor Gregorio Oca of the Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP), sought to build a dormitory for seafarers which would help ease their concerns about their domicile in Manila as they await their deployment.

“MARINO Party-list has long awaited the fulfilment of its dream to build a place to help seafarers as they seek to find employment between deployments,” said Gonzalez.

The MOA envisions the building of a dormitory to ease the congestion in seafarer dorms and to provide a cheaper alternative for seafarers as they seek jobs while in the capital.

“The MARINO Party-list remains committed to ease concerns of seafarers. The dorm we are seeking to build would help reduce the costs incurred by our seamen as they seek to purse higher training or their next deployment while in Manila,” MARINO Party-list Second Representative Macnell Lusotan said.

The MARINO Party-list enjoys a strong partnership with MARINA, as evidenced by the establishment of an STCW Satellite Office in the MARINO Action Center (MAC) in Ermita.

The dormitory project was conceptualized together with MARINA and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), to act as an affordable and safe accommodation for OFWs, especially Filipino mariners.

The land where the dormitory will be built was provided for by PPA Vice Chairman and General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago.

“During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, many seafarers staying in Metro Manila were evicted from their dorms and hostels for failure to pay their lodgings.

Seafarers repatriated from abroad were shunned by dorm owners because of misconceptions that they were carriers of Covid-19.

‘’We do not wish our seafarers to experience these struggles again,” Gonzalez said in his speech at the 47th anniversary of MARINA.