29/03/2022
FSA STATEMENT
In the midst of the military crisis in Ukraine, the safety and security of Filipino seafarers and seafarers of other nationalities on board merchant ships trading at the Black Sea and adjacent areas are placed at significant risks. Seafarers on ships that have been stranded in conflict areas face a very high level of exposure of becoming innocent victims of the military conflict. Disturbance in the world trade is now in our midst, considering that both Ukraine and Russia are major source of economic resources. Shipowners and operators are facing huge losses as a result of international economic sanctions imposed on Russia and are facing severe difficulties in signing-off their seafarers onboard ships caught in the said conflict.
The war in Ukraine directly affects global maritime transport in numerous ways. The most pressing of these is the immense pressure that will be placed on the maritime labor force as a result of the ongoing conflict and upheavals. Russian and Ukrainian seafarers account for nearly 15 percent of the world’s seafarers and the present crisis in Ukraine will consequentially trigger and aggravate the maritime labor shortage.
Indeed, Ukrainian seafarers face a dreadful quandary and we sympathize with their predicament. Mindful of their distance from their families, the safety and security of their families back home are surely foremost on their thoughts. Others desire to return home so they can join their fellow countrymen in defending their beloved homeland from the aggressors.
Reflecting on the issue, the Chairman & President of the Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA), Dario R. Alampay had this to say, “As the maritime community, we remain steadfast and focused on finding ways to ensure the safe movement of our Filipino Global Maritime Professionals (GMPs) away from the war corridors.” Asserting the Association’s focus in light of the crisis, he added that “On behalf of the Filipino Shipowners Association, allow me to assure our beloved seafarers, whom we consider the “heart and soul” of the Philippine maritime industry, that their safety and security are what matter most to us during these dangerous times. They have our full support and advocacy.” A similar sentiment was expressed by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who issued an official statement on February 23, 2022, “Our chief and singular concern is to take out of harm’s way our fellow Filipinos in Ukraine and bring them to the nearest places of safety by the fastest possible way.”
The Filipino Shipowners Association stands with the global community in support of Ukraine and its people in their struggle for survival and fervently echoes the voice of the international community in calling for the immediate cessation of the on-going military operations in Ukraine.
The Filipino Shipowners Association
