Entero said that the only way to win the fight over the FoC system is to organize the seafarers and to make them realize how this instrument poses enormous dangers to their rights. ((Bulatlat.com)
Basic Data on Seafarers
89 – The number of maritime schools in the Philippines
60,000 – The number of students enrolling at maritime schools
25,000 – Of the 60,000 will finish the course
20,000 – Out of the 25,000 will remain as ordinary seamen or OS
5,000 – Will be ranked as Able Seamen or AS
59 – The number of accredited training centers by the Maritime Training Council (MTC) which provides different kinds of seminars and workshops for seafarers as part of their accreditation, pursuant to International Maritime Organization’s 1978 Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch-keeping for Seafarers, or STCW ’78
Other data:
Sources: POEA 2007 Overseas Employment Statistics, the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS), and the MTC
