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Vol. XX No. 1 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 http://www.unitedfilipinoseafarers.com.ph PHP 25.00 Vol. XXI No. 1 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 NEWS NEWS NEWS FEATURES EDITORIAL BOC, UFS INSPECTIONS UFS FILING ON COC COAST GUARD’S ANNIVERSARY PROTEST RALLY INT’L AWARDS FO PHL SEAMEN 19 25 15 04 11 OATHS, DIRTY TRICKS, AND MARINA: A less on in manipulation? 25

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Vol. XX No. 1 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2014 http://www.unitedfilipinoseafarers.com.ph PHP 25.00Vol. XXI No. 1 NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015

NEWS

NEWS

NEWSFEATURESEDITORIAL

BOC, UFS INSPECTIONS UFS FILING ON COCCOAST GUARD’S ANNIVERSARYPROTEST RALLY INT’L AWARDS FO PHL SEAMEN 19

25

1504 11

OATHS, DIRTY TRICKS, AND MARINA:

A lesson in manipulation?

25

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 3

Oaths, Dirty Tricks, and MARINA: A Lesson in Manipulation?

The ceremonial oath taking was originally scheduled at a differ-ent date and venue but 24 hours before the UFS-led protest, the officers were told via SMS that they would instead be taking their oaths in the parking lot of the MARINA on the same date of the demon-stration.

COINCIDENCE?

MARINA holds the oath taking of its newly-registered and promoted officers amid the fiery protest of UF-Sand its allies.

JOANA CHRYSTAL VENTURA

COLLECTIVE VOICE

On behalf of over a thousand protesters, Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, United Filipino Seafarers president, expresses his dismay over MARINA’s implementation of what he describes as “unjust and questionable” changes in the local maritime sector.

DEMOCRATIC MARCH

United Filipino Seafarers, other members of the maritime sector and allies head towards Maritime Institue Authority’s (MARINA) office to hold a massive protest rally against MARINA’s debatable platforms and pro-visions, October 14, 2015.

PLACARADS ARE READY

Protesters are all set for a massive rally that condemns the wrong doings of Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA); placards and tarpaulins are sorted out few minutes before the demonstartion commences.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 31

On October 14, 2015, af-ter several weeks of preparation, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) president Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez led a 2000-strong mass demon-stration against the MARINA. The protesters consisted of seafarers and their families, along with some concerned stakeholders from various private sectors and non-government units. The rally, according to UFS, was staged to urge MARINA officials to correct its “shortcomings and malprac-tices”. The mass demonstration proceeded exactly as planned; militant allies added their voice to the seafarer’s cries, carrying placards and banners, and dif-ferent groups from TV, radio, and print media covered the protest. In the end, MARINA sent Mar-itime Education and Training Standard Supervisor John Rec-to Esplago down to invite Engr. Ramirez and other seafarer officers to a closed-door dialogue, where they could discuss their issues with MARINA. The event coverage was broadcast during the major networks’ news programs later that evening, while in the broad-sheets and AM radio stations, commen-tators mulled over the implications of the rally for days. But while hundreds of de-ployed seafarers lauded the UFS’ continuous efforts in advocating for their welfare and expressed their gratitude through social media, about a dozen netizens had a different message, criti-cizing UFS’ call to action as “dis-ruptive”, “noisy”, and “irreverent”, among other things. Their com-plaint was that the rally had ap-parently ruined their enjoyment of a memorable occasion: the ceremonial oath taking for the latest batch of merchant marine officers. As it turned out, the UFS-led protest seemed to have disturbed the oath taking cer-emony, which was being held under a makeshift canvas tent at the MARINA parking lot. In this rather pathetic setting, as the attendees sat on grimy plastic

chairs just a few meters away from passing pedestrians and heavy street traffic along Taft Ave., the protesters’ strident cries for reform easily overpowered the MARINA’s sound system. For this unfortunate consequence, some misinformed netizens blame the UFS for crash-ing the event. This instance, sadly, seems to be an exercise in public misdirection. You see, what only a few people know is that the ceremonial oath taking was originally sched-uled for October 13, and it was sup-posed to be held at a different ven-ue. Then on October 12 – just one day before the event -- the newly-li-censed marine officers received a text message from MARINA, inform-ing them that the ceremony would instead be held on the 14th, on the premises of the MARINA offices in Ermita. The officers did not receive

any explanation for the change. A credible inform-er from MARINA re-vealed to Tinig ng Marino that appar-ently, some high-er-ups were worried at the momentum that the UFS protest was gaining. As early as September, Engr. Ramirez and other UFS members have been counting down the days before the protest on Facebook and other social me-

dia sites; their efforts have attracted the support and attention of sea-farers from all over the Philippines, including those who were currently deployed overseas. In a malicious attempt to disperse some of the protesters’ impact, someone al-legedly hatched the scheme to conduct the oath taking ceremony on the day of the demonstration. The intention was two-fold: the presence of the officers and their guests conveniently provided a hu-man barrier in front of the MARINA building; and, it offered a chance to (misre) present the UFS in a bad light by making it appear as if they were crashing the venue, despite the fact that the said rally had been slated for October 14th since Au-gust. What UFS finds most con-demnable about the whole affair is

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 4

EDITORIAL

TINIG NG MARINOTHE PHILIPPINES’ ONLY GLOBALLY CIRCULATED

MARITIME NEWSPAPER

EXECUTIVE EDITORMANAGING EDITORASSISTANT EDITOR

NELSON P. RAMIREZARIANNE RAMIREZMYRNA VIRTUDAZOJAMES S. MANTE

STAFF WRITERS

JOHN MICHAEL HONRADAJULES ANDREW GARCIA

PRODUCTION STAFF

NEW YORK BUREAUGREECE BUREAU

ROTTERDAM BUREAU

REY STO. DOMINGO

FR. JAMES KOLINENGR. SAMSON TORMISCORRY LLAMAS-KONINGSBOB RAMIREZ

SINGAPORE BUREAUBELGIUM BUREAU

JAPAN BUREAU

PHILIP RAMIREZMINABELLE SIASONCAPT. ARTURO CAÑOZA

LEGAL CONSULTANTS BULILAN LAW OFFICESSAPALO VELEZ BUNDANG

4TH FLOOR ROOM 402, GEDISCO TERRACES BLDG., 1148 ROXAS BLVD., ERMITA, MANILA,

PHILIPPINES

(632) 525-5806(632) 708-9206

fax: (632 524-4888

[email protected]://www/unitedfilipinoseafarers.com.ph

LAYOUT ARTISTGRAPHIC DESIGNERS

JULESANDREW GARCIACHRISTOPHER DAREL PANCHOEDISON JADE FRIAS

The logic of a protest rally

The initiative to save a rotten system from further obliteration is supposed to come from its stakeholders. Upon learning about a reeking malpractice or irregularity, a counter act is expected to be carried out. Otherwise, they become passive victims willing to be devoured—aware of such crookedness but do not do anything about it. On October 15 and November 11, 2015, United Filipino Seafarers along with thousands of other concerned seafarers and allies flocked in front of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA). The event was prompt-ed to express their vehement opposition to the implementation of seem-ingly erroneous and unjust changes by MARINA which actually affect the mariners—in a negative way. Re-taking of licensure examinations for seafarers who were not in practice for five years, utilization of SIR Sheets in lieu of the customary Seafarers Identification and Record Books (SIRBs), alleged corruption, in-eptitude and malversation of funds were some issues raised by the pro-testers. The massive demonstration created a buzz and attracted differ-ent media agencies for coverage, eventually flaunting, before millions of Filipinos, the saddening plight that the local maritime industry is current-ly stuck in. Shortly after, various feedback and opinions arose with regard to UFS’ move of exercising its democratic right in conducting a protest ral-ly against the maritime giant that’s supposed to protect seafarers’ rights but does absolute otherwise. While many commended UFS’ strong and firm stand on the is-sue, there were still some who raised their brows and called for the im-mediate halt of UFS’ actions, stressing that protest rallies are a manifes-tation of imbalance in the entire maritime sphere and serves no good example to the young aspiring seafarers. In the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article III (Bill of Rights) Sec-tion 4 states that: “No law shall be passed abridging …the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.” The law of the land makes it clear that holding protest rallies is constitutionally upright, thus, can be done by any sector in the country. Through the years, UFS has been standing behind every battle fought by Filipino mariners here and abroad. Protest rallies such as the ones held this year are some of the many ways employed by the institu-tion to call for action from the ones in power and authority. To ask UFS to stop what it currently does is perfectly tantamount to asking the same of betraying public’s trust. UFS’ massive rallies are never a show-off of mere power and enormity but of unity and courage. An act that teaches young generation how to stand by the truth and rec-tify anything that causes distress to the majority. These protest rallies are seafarers’ way of shaking the seemingly sleeping giant. MARINA’s doors have long been closed for private talks and discussions, unless UFS does something loud like demonstrations, they’ll remain passive and insensitive.

SEAFARERS’ INBOX

No to retake pag di nagamit ang license. Utterly nonsense ‘yon. ‘Yong processing ng COC/COE, tank-er certificates, at accreditation ng 6.09,6.10, at 3.12, dapat magkaroon din sa mga regional offices para di nagsisiksikan sa Manila lalo [pa’t] napakainit sa Marina Manila

Ian Kammet Salcedo

In the midst of overwhelming issues plaguing the local maritime industry, e.g., alleged corruption and malversa-tion, re-taking of licensure examinations, utilization of SIR sheets in lieu of SIRBs, what do you want to tell the Mari-time Industry Authority (MARINA)?

Ang pera na aming inuuwi ay galing sa dugo at pawis ng isang bayaning marino..Magdadaan muna kami sa sangkatutak na trabaho sa barko at daranas ng malalaking hampas ng alon at pangungulila sa pamilya bago kikita ng kaunting pera... Ginagawa namin yan lahat para matustusan ang pangan-gailangan ng aming pamilya. hindi para sa MARINA....hindi kami mayaman para inyong gatasan.

Jeyar Igot

Sa lahat ng kapwa q marino jan. Siguro panahon na para magsalita tayo tungkol sa kawalang hi-yaan ng mga namamahala sa MARINA. Ang dami nang issue na nakakasira sa pangalan at reputa-syon nila. dahil sa mga buwayang nasa MARINA. Isa na dito ang retake sa license. Sa lahat ceguro ng mga kurso na kailangan ng license, Sa atin lang siguro nangyari na may retake pag di nagamit ang license, tapos ngayon sasabihin nila na wala nang retake, abbreviation test na lang daw. Ang akala ng mga taga-MARINA eehh mga bobo tayo. Ba’t di na lang kaya tuluyang tanggalin yang retake? No retake na lang sana. Di naman siguro bobo ang mga marino na may license na.. Mas matatanggap pa ng mga marino kung magre-refresh na lang ng knowledge para maging competent ulit with re-gard to responsibilties of a seaman as OIC. Ang akala namin sa dagat lang may pating… sa dagat lang may barakuda na lubhang delikado para sa aming mga marino… eehh pati rin pala sa MARI-NA.. Mas delikado pa nga kasi harap-harapan tayong pinapatay

Jhareld Bandiling

Hnd lng nla alam kung gaano kahirap ang sitwasyon ng mga marino ni hnd panga nakasampa at hirap pa makapasok ng trabaho..kawawa nman tayong hirap ng makapasok, iba iba pang binabago nla na pareho dn lng nmn.

Xelif Seroma

Tulong para sa ikakayabong ng MARINONG PILIPINO, likas tayong mga MARINONG PILIPINO na ma-sipag at malinis mag trabaho sa barko, pero ang MARINA ganun din ang trato sa atin. Likas na MASI-PAG pumera at magpakuha ng trainings na kahit sila hindi nakaranas kahit minsan, at magMALINIS na sila ang tama kahit na tayong mga MARINO ang tanging nakaka alam. The PROFICIENCY OF A MARINER DOES NOT DEPEND UPON THE REQUIRED TRAININGS THAT HE GETS. IT DEPENDS UPON HIS WILL, ABILITY AND KNOWLEDGE. STOP MARINA EXAMINATION RETAKE - TREATING US LIKE WE DON’T HAVE KNOWLEDGE IN OUR OWN FIELD - ABUSING FILIPINO SEAFARER

Earl Teirs

CHRYSTAL JOAN VENTURAENGR. RAINERO B. MORGIA

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 5

ENGR. NELSON P. RAMIREZ

Most Outstanding Marine Engineer Officer, PRC, 1996Most Outstanding Student, ZNSAT, 1970Outstanding Achiever of the Year,Province of Zamboanga del Norte, 2006

MEAN INDICATED PRESSURE

The banner story of the Tinig ng Marino in November-December 2010 issue was about the UNHOLY ALLIANCE of ambulance chasers, arbiters and arbitrators, fake medical doctors and even insurance companies. For years, Tinig ng Marino has been exposing the UNHOLY ALLIANCE not only in this newspaper but also in our television show and radio program. We wrote stories about a chief cook who lost the hearing of his left ear four times; the seafarer who died of leptospirosis after allegedly having contacted the disease for so many months on board the ship but died a few months after his vacation (leptospirosis patients won’t last a month); a boatswain who filed a case because the food that was being served to them was so delicious and sumptuous and they even had Sabado Nights; and the chief cook who filed a case because he was working in crouching position and

was lifting spare parts and smelling fuel oil and lube oil every day.. These articles caught the attention of many manning executives, thus they decided to hire their own lawyers and started to win their cases. Prior to that, they were made to believe that our courts were pro labor and the management had no chance of winning their case. I am glad for the seafarers who won their cases but if the decision is strange and biased, it will discourage the shipowners. They will eventually transfer to other countries to hire seafarers. There are already many Filipino seafarers who have lost their jobs because of such unlawful decisions. The UNHOLY ALLIANCE has become infamous in the industry

and many would like to get their share of the limelight to show that they also care for the seafarers and their employers. Thus, the Anti Ambulance Chasers Law was born and signed into law. But, is this law really necessary? I am not a lawyer but a maritime labor arbitrator in the

National Conciliation and Mediation Board. This is my personal opinion. The seafarer, like any other OFWs, is often looked up to as one of today’s modern heroes, who, through their huge remittances in billions of dollars, have propped up our

economy. Despite the glorification of his economic contribution, he is not given the benefits he deserves. In fact, he is especially economically vulnerable because the nature of his employment which is contractual,

i.e., a short term of not more than one year per contract. A seafarer does not have security of tenure, nor is he entitled to retirement benefits except the SSS and he pays for his bagful of training certificates. Away from his family and working on board vessels sailing non-stop under harsh weather condition for weeks or months in the world’s oceans, he is mentally and emotionally stressed. He is constantly exposed to fluctuating temperatures caused by variant weather changes of extreme hot and cold as the ships cross ocean boundaries. As if working in these difficult conditions are not enough, when he sustains injury, illness or loses his life, seldom does he receive full compensation provided under the law because his employer does not hesitate to harness its immense resources to limit its liability. A seafarer needs a good, experienced professional lawyer to be able to prosecute his monetary claims. But do we really need an Anti Ambulance Chasers Law for this? In my own opinion, this law violates the CONSTITUTIONAL FIAT ON THE SEPARATION OF POWERS SPECIFICALLY SECTION 5, ARTICLE VII of the 1987 CONSTITUTION. The Article VIII of the Judicial Department Section 5 says and I quote; The Supreme Court shall have the following powers: (5) Promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights, pleading, practice and procedure in all courts, the admission to the practice of law, the Integrated Bar, and legal assistance to the underprivileged. The 1987 Constitution took away the power of Congress to repeal, alter, or supplement rules concerning pleading, practice and procedure. The power to promulgate rules of pleading, practice and procedure is no longer shared by the Supreme Court with Congress, more so with the executive. If the manifest intent of the 1987 Constitution is to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, it is inutile to urge, as public respondents do, that this Court has no jurisdiction to

On the Ambulance Chasing Law

In my own opinion, this law violates the CONSTITUTIONAL FIAT ON THE SEPARATION OF POWERS SPECIFICALLY SECTION 5 (5) ARTICLE VII 1987 CON STITUTION.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 8

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 6

CCG Conference and the Filipino Government officials

The Philippines once again hosted the Crew Connect Global Asia-Pacific Manning and Training at the Sofitel Hotel last November 12-13, 2015. Known as the international networking place for the crewing and training industry, this event has consistently brought together around 500 executives and seafarers at the center of maritime issues and updates. Sen. Edgardo Angara Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, talked about “Future-proofing the Philippines maritime workforce.” He lauded the Filipino seafarers for being the best in the world and said that it is in the Filipino’s blood to be a great seafarer because the Philippines is an archipelago, prompting one European to ask, “How is that blood being pumped to the veins of the Filipino seafarers?” Sen. Angara also talked about the NCMB and the NLRC assuring

the participants that things will get better as soon as the Anti-Ambulance Chasing Law gets implemented. To which one participant said, “Let’s see how this weak bill pans out”.

Dr. Maximo Mejia and his pa-pogi The next speaker was MARINA administrator Maximo Meija Jr. who gave an update on STCW standards and the regulation of maritime colleges. Meija announced that MARINA has gone online for the convenience of the Filipino seafarers. Unknown to A dministrator Meija, photos of seafarers queuing up at MARINA has reached Adamson University that very same day were being circulated in the social media. One foreign principal asked, “Doesn’t the administrator look outside his office window and see the long line of seafarers?” Maybe, the long and winding line, is the ONLINE that he is talking about. Meija also talked on how MARINA has “filtered” the maritime schools and have come up with a list of schools that have “passed MARINA standards.” In that instant, somebody from the crowd said, does he know that Dipolog City Institute of Technology, BIT International College in Siquijor, the other Misamis Institute of Technology which is operated by

Galileo Maglasang in Osamis City, PNTC Colleges in Sta. Mesa and even the PMI Colleges which have been suspended by CHED are still operating continuously? Does he know what he is talking about? This is the same Dr. Mejia, who, a few days before the CCG conference was asked in the Philippine Manning Convention on which part of the STCW Convention can you find the Daily Journal, OIC Level Course Part A and Part B, Revised Management Level Course, New Management Level Course, Updating Management Level Course and Retake of the Licensure Examination can be found? Dr. Mejia answered that he is not familiar with the STCW Convention and needed a day with his computer to study it. It is very sad, because he already signed the MARINA Advisory for this matter.

Cong. Jesulito Manalo and his bill In true Filipino politician fashion, Cong. Manalo

couldn’t just talk about the bill he’s been pushing without showing everyone a graph of how many voted for Angkla Party List. M a n a l o also highlighted his part in the “new MARINA face,” a proposed MARINA regional office, that prompted one of the participants to say that the building has had already two

ground breaking ceremonies but still no post is erected or sign of anything being constructed. Cong. Manalo also bragged of the R.A. 10635 that Created Marina as the Single Maritime Administration to implement the IMO STCW Convention. Everybody was made to believe that this law is the answer to all the problems of the maritime industry but instead, it has created more problems than solutions because MARINA was not prepared to take over the functions of the other government agencies. Not only that it doesn’t have enough space in its office but it does not have also the right personnel needed to process the documents of the seafarers. In fact, after the passage of that law on March 13, 2014, MARINA was not able to fill up the board of examiners needed and it took them many months to conduct theoretical and practical examinations. Instead of impressing foreign principals of his Anti-Ambulance

CONTINUE ON PAGE 22

Instead of impressing foreign principals of his Anti-Ambulance Chas-ing Law, Cong. Manalo irked a lot of shipown-ers. They said that the bill is weak and seems to just put on a show that Angkla is doing something. “

BEFORE THE DAWNFilipino seafarers flock outside the office of Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) as early as 7 PM to secure a slot for the processing of papers the next day.

ONLINE?Hundreds of seafarers patiently fall in long and tedious queues during the processing of their papers in the MARINA.

IRONYMany seafarers express dismay over the current system employed by MARINA in processing their papers stating that what they went through just to accomplish the procedure was an exact opposite of what MARINA promised to be “the best service they could ever receive.”

UNAWAREThere are non-accredited maritime schools in the country that are still in full operation, an implication that MARINA does not do its job in filtering maritime institutions int he country, an audience in the Crew Connect Global Asia-Pacific Manning and Training Conference said.

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 8

linkedin.com/company/the-osm.groupfacebook.com/its.all.about.peopletwiier.com/OSM_Mariime

[email protected]/en/careers+63 2 523 8871

The evergrowing fleet of

control the process of execution of its decisions, a power conceded to it and which it has exercised since time immemorial. The Supreme Court, pursuant to the mandate of the Constitution provided in Section 24, Rule 138 of the Rules of Court, what rules govern compensation of attorney’s fees and in Canon 20 of the code of Professional Responsibility stated the factors that shall guide lawyers in determining his fees which are quoted hereunder: Section 24, Rule 138 of the Rules of the Court provides: Compensation of attorney’s agreements to fees. An attorney shall be entitled to have and recover from his client no more than a reasonable compensation for his services, with a view to the importance of the subject matter of the controversy, the extent of the services rendered, and the professional standing of the attorney. No court shall be bound by the attorneys as expert witnesses as to the proper compensation, but may disregard such testimony and base its conclusion on its own professional knowledge. A written contract for services shall control the amount to be paid therefore unless found by the court to be unconscionable or unreasonable. The CANON 20 states, and

MEAN INDICATED PRESSURE

I quote: A LAWYER CHARGES ONLY WHAT IS FAIR AND REASONABLE FEES. Rule 20.01 A lawyer shall be guided by the following factors in determining his fees. (a) The time spent and the extent of the services rendered or required; (b) The

novelty and difficulty of the question involved; (c) The importance of the subject matter (d) The skill demanded; (e) The probability of losing other employment as the result of acceptance of the proffered case; (f) The customary charges for

similar services and the schedule of fees of the IBP Chapter to which he belongs; (g) The amount involved in the controversy and the benefits to the client from the service; (h) The contingency and the benefits resulting to the client from the service; (h) The contingency or certainty of the compensation; (i) The character of the employment, whether occasional or established; and (j) The professional standing of the lawyer. The Supreme Court has the Authority to Sanction Ambulance Chasing. In the exercise of its constitutional mandate to regulate the practice of law in our country, the Supreme Court promulgated the Code of the Professional Responsibility (CPR) which contains the rules of conduct which all lawyers must adhere to, including the manner by which a lawyer’s services are to be made known. The applicable provisions of the CPR provides: “xxx Rule 1.01 -- A lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct. Rule 1.03 -- A lawyer shall not, for any corrupt motive or interest, encourage any suit or proceeding or delay any man’s cause. CANNON 2 -- A LAWYER SHALL MAKE HIS LEGAL SERVICES AVAILABLE IN AN EFFICIENT AND CONVENIENT MANNER COMPATIBLE WITH THE INDEPENDENCE, INTEGRITY, AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROFESSION. XXX Rule 2.03 -- A lawyer shall not do or permit to be done any act designed primarily to solicit legal business. Rule 2.04 -- A lawyer shall not charge rates lower than those customarily prescribed unless the circumstances warrant. XXX CANNON 9 -- A LAWYER SHALL NOT, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ASSEST IN THE UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW. Rule 9.01 – A lawyer shall not delegate to any unqualified person the performance of any task which by law may only be performed by a member of the bar in good standing. XXX CANNON 20 – A LAWYER SHALL CHARGE ONLOY FAIR AND REASONABLE FEES.” It is true that lawyers are prohibited from soliciting cases for the purpose of gain, either personally or through paid agents or brokers. Such actuation constitutes malpractice, a ground for disbarment, not imprisonment. To allow a lawyer to advertise his talent or skill is to commercialize the practice of law, degrade the profession in the public’s estimation and impair its ability to efficiently render that high character of service to which every member of the bar is called. Do we really need this anti-ambulance chasing law when a law already exists?

On the Ambulance Chasing Law

from page 5

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 9

Plan B for the Threatening EU Ban: Panama Offers New Hope for 80K

Filipino Seafarers

Despite the MARINA’s rather hollow expression of confidence that the Philippines will finally pass the Eu-ropean Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) audits within the short-term period, our history of repeated and consist-ent failure leaves many unconvinced. The MARINA keeps paying lip service to their conviction that the results will be a positive one but the distinct possibil-ity of European Union ban rests heav-ily on the minds of the 80,000 Filipino seafarers who stand to lose their live-lihood should the EU decide to make good on its threat. But at the eleventh hour of the Filipino seafarers’ dilemma, a new hope awakens as Panama’s Au-toridad Maritima de Panama (Panama Maritime Authority), or AMP, ushers in a more intensive stance to strengthen its position as the unrivaled #1 maritime registry in the world. In their second official visit to the country, AMP Administrator Mr. Jorge Barakat Pitty (Atty.) and Director General of Seafarers Mr. José Luís Aizpurúa invited UFS President Nelson P. Ramirez and Tinig ng Marino to a private meeting at the Panamanian Embassy in Makati last August to discuss Panama’s c o m p r e h e n s i v e reform within their maritime sector. During the meeting, Administrator Barakat explained that as due to the Philippines’ critical role in the global maritime landscape, they have been coordinating with key industry and government entities in our country as part of their plans to overhaul Panama’s international system for port regulation, ship and seafarer registration, and the oversight process for service delivery. Quality standards and maritime safety are two key areas that this comprehensive AMP reform is targeting. “We are currently meeting with highly-qualified training centers and manning agencies here in your country so that we can discuss the process for being recognized as a Panamanian training center. This is important because what it means is that they will be able to plan and implement training courses as a Panamanian (agency). This will promote more jobs for the Filipino seafarers,” Administrator Barakat explains. “We have more than 64 consulate offices worldwide; this means that we are able to provide technical

support to our partners in order to avoid any detentions, and to promote special services for our seafarers in any region. That’s why we are the #1. We are not just a company that cares about revenues; we are a country that is truly invested in our customers, in the safety and security of the maritime sector.” An important theme under these new set of rules is the regulation of training centers abroad. As a long-term response to these actions, the new leadership of the AMP have put in place new regulations for the recognition of accredited training centers and started a new program of audits in Panama. These standards are much more stringent; over the 23 initially-approved local training centers, only 11 have made the cut after the audits. P a n a m a ’ s transformation had already been in motion since last year, as AMP reopened the SEGUMAR office in New York, nearly eight years after previous AMP administrators decided to move the bulk of its operations in Panama. This office serves consulates that process Seafarers’ and Merchant Marine

documentation within the United States and Canada, as well as customers from any other consulate in Europe or Asia. The reopening of the New York offices aims to expedite the issuance of documents and certifications. The AMP had notably instituted new security measures as well.

Director Aizpurua concurs that the new regulations are very rigorous: “They have to comply with everything established by the STCW regulations: from the instructors, the training modules, the hours, how they deliver the courses, everything. It is definitely a much higher level of standards than how it used to be under the previous administration.” The current leadership of the AMP took office in August 2014. One of Administrator Barakat’s first executive actions was to revoke the concession given to Orion, the company that carries out evaluations on behalf of the AMP. In addition, an internal audit was carried out on Orion operations in Panama, as well as a regional audit on Orion subsidiaries here in the Philippines (the latter used to process the training courses given by Orion). The results of

these audits formed the basis for the AMP’s filing of a criminal lawsuit against the Orion company in January of this year; some of the charges named in the said lawsuit included abuse of official functions, forfeiture of documents, and document-related fraud. In addition to Orion, virtually all the AMP officials, have been charged and implicated in the case, which is presently under judgment. *** Panama’s strong position

We are currently meet-ing with highly-qualified training centers and man-ning agencies here in your country so that we can dis-cuss the process for being recognized as a Panamani-an training center.

A timely reprieve from the EMSA threat

The Philippine maritime indus-try stands to benefit from Panama’s re-form in two key aspects: first, the imme-diate result of the campaign will lead to increased offshore employment oppor-tunities within Panamanian-accredited agencies; and two, the aggressive drive to make the Panamanian maritime in-dustry efficient and capable is bound to attract more principals all over the world, especially in light of a threatened EU moratorium on Filipino seafarers. In the

as a global maritime player is bound to become even more formidable as the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) recently announced that the Panama Canal expansion is currently at 91% completion. The expansion, which is expected to be fully accomplished by April 2016, effectively doubles the canal’s capacity through the addition of a new traffic lane, and two new lock complexes (one on the Atlantic Ocean and one on the Pacific Ocean).

JOANA CHRYSTAL VENTURA

not-unlikely event of yet another MARINA letdown where the EMSA audits are con-cerned, the Panama government is virtu-ally offering a lifeline to the 80,000 sea-farers who are doomed to be displaced once EMSA decided to make good on its ban. Some stakeholders claim that such a ban is unlikely, given that the Philip-pines is the largest single source of mar-itime workers in the world. But it is defi-nitely good to have a Plan B, just in case.

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 10

Engr. Ramirez on RTC’s ruling over ‘Princess’ case: “It is right and just”

“Finally, the court has made a rightful decision. The families of the victims deserve compensation for what had happened more than seven years ago.”

-Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez“

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) pres-ident, was delighted upon learn-ing that Manila Court has ordered Sulpicio Lines to pay P241.7 million to families of the victims of M/V Prin-cess of the Stars that sank amid Ty-phoon Frank on June 2008. He said such decision gives justice not just only to the victims

but also to their families who were left mourning after the tragic inci-dent. “Finally, the court has made a rightful decision. The families of the victims deserve compensation for what had happened more than sev-en years ago.” Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) Chief Persida Rueda- Acos-ta, lawyer of the victims, said the

Regional Trial Court Branch 49 Pre-siding Judge Daniel C. Villanueva issued an 87-page decision dated Sept.18, 2015, ruling in favor of the victims and their families. M/V Princess sailed for Cebu from the Port of Manila on June 20, 2008 carrying 849 individuals, 709 of whom were passengers, 29 contrac-tors and 111 crew. It capsized in the Sibuyan Sea at 9:30 p.m. the next day leaving 227 people dead and 592 missing. Only 32 survived. RTC said Celerna Calayag, who stands as the representative of the victims, along with their heirs ,was able to provide suffi-cient evidence prov-ing the negligence of the former Sulpicio Lines Inc., now Philip-pine Span Asia Carrier Corp. (PSACC) and its officers including En-rique Go, Eusebio Go, Carlos Go, Victoriano Go, Dominador Go, Ricardo Go, Edward Go, Edgar Go and ship’s captain Floren-cio Marimon Sr. The court ruled that GO family-owned shipping line’s fail-ure to bring the passengers to their destination “safely, unharmed and alive” is already enough to create a presumption that they are guilty of negligence. More so, there were no ef-forts from the defendants to belie the presumption of negligence. They did not present evidence that would attest they observed diligence in en-suring the safety of their passengers

before, during and after the tragedy. The case against Sulpico/PSACC was even bolstered with a number of testimonies from the witnesses and survivors alike which led to a solid evidence contradict-ing their claim that the ship’s misfor-tune was caused by typhoon Frank and PAGASA’s alleged criminal neg-ligence. Contrary to their claim, the weather forecasting agency already raised the storm signal warning in areas including the route in which M/V Princess would navigate. The

captain of the ship knew about it but there were no in-structions given to take shelter. United Filipino Seafarers con-demned the neg-ligence of the shipping company stating that there was a clear viola-tion of the law. UFS also felt disparaged on behalf of the vic-tims and their rel-

atives after the survivors and their heirs signed waivers and quitclaims which according to the court is con-trary to law, public order, public pol-icy, morals or good morals and was “obviously prepared by defendants in order to deter any litigation that may arise as a result of the capsiz-ing of the M/V Princess of the Stars.” UFS has been battling be-side the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) and the kin of the M/V Prin-cess of the Stars for the attainment of justice since 2008.

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 11

Fifteen Filipino crew of M/V Taiko, some with their representatives, were awarded with the Operational Medal by the Norwegian Armed Forces (NAP) last September 17 for their cou-rageous act of cooperating with the Norwegian Government and United Nations with the removal of chemical weapons in the middle of the war in Syria. The other six crew members re-ceived the honor in Norway last June. The event is seen as rare and historic for there had been no non-Nor-wegian who were able to receive the outstanding award and the last NAP Operational award was given a long time ago in World War II.

The Mission The mission was carried out from December 2013 to July 2014 after the discovery of the weapons used in an attack in Syria. United Nations Se-curity Council made Resolution 2118 on September 27, 2013 which called for the assistance of the international com-munity in the removal, transportation and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria. In behalf of United Nations and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Norway decided to help and sent M/V Taiko, a civilian cargo ship of Wilhelmsen ASA to execute the operation with two Norwe-gian Navy vessels to act as escorts.

Commended Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Førner said that the mission was of great importance for the

population of Syria, the UN, and for in-ternational peace and security. “The operation was complet-ed under exceptionally challenging circumstances. Taiko was extremely exposed and vulnerable for the time it took to take on board the chemical weapons in Syria. Occasionally, the loading of the ship was accompanied by the sound of missiles and mortars. The 15 seafarers represented here to-day ensured that hundreds of tons of chemical weapons were transport-ed from Syria and safely destroyed,” Førner said. He emphasized the contribu-tion of the Filipino crew members to international peace and security. “M/V Taiko’s mission in Syria was yet another example of the excel-lent relationship and solid ties between the Philippines and Norway. The coop-eration on board Taiko is a manifesta-tion of the friendship between our two countries,” Førner said in his speech.

Ambassador Førner also com-mended the courage and bravery of the Filipino seafarers. “You made a differ-ence. You proved that the international community can join forces and ensure that words are followed by action. And you demonstrated once again that ex-cellence and professionalism are trade-marks of the Filipino seafarer,” said Am-bassador Førner.

Even the military head of the operation on board M/V Taiko, Com-mander Senior Grade John Gunnar Refsnes was convinced of the compe-

tence of the Filipino Seafarers. ‘If I ever get a task like this again, I know where to look for my crew.’ Gunnar said. Wilhemsen Vice President Espen Sending acknowledged the strong relation of the Philippines and Norway in the maritime sector. He expressed his gratitude with the Mari-time Authorities and the government agencies for the long and excellent partnership throughout the years.

A modern hero’s words Tinig ng Marino asked Ted Jallorina, one of the Filipino crew of M/V Taiko, of what he felt during the removal of the chemical weapons in

Filipino Seafarers receive medal from the Norwegian Armed Forces

JOHN MICHAEL HONRADA

The event is seen as rare and historic for there had been no non-Norwegian who were able to receive the outstand-ing award plus the last NAP Operation-al award was given a long time ago in World War II.

Commander Senior Grade John Gunnar Resfnes shakes hands with one of the Filipino awardees as he grants him the recognition.

Syria. He proudly responded, “I felt a lit-tle fear inside me, but at the same time I’m proud that I helped in the mission that’s tasked before me and my mates. Despite the fear, I carried on thinking it’s for the sake of the people of Syria and the world.”

He also has a message for all his fellow seafarers out there. “What-ever we can do to solve the problems not only for our motherland but for anywhere in the world, I believe we’re ready to help whatever or whoever it is. Just believe in yourself. Don’t be scared for God is always watching us wherever destiny brings us.”

AWARDING

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

ATTY. AUGUSTO R. BUNDANG

Head, Litigation and Seafarers DepartmentSapalo Velez Bundang and Bulilan Law Offices

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 12

SAILOR’S CORNER

Section 20, B (6) of the 2000 POEA Standards Terms and Conditions governing the employment of Filipino seafarers onboard ocean-going vessels (which is incorporated in the POEA Standard Employment Contract) clearly provides that in case of permanent total or partial disability of the seafarer caused by either injury or illness, he shall be paid in accordance with the schedule of benefits enumerated in section 32 of the same POEA Standard Terms. Section 32 pertaining to the schedule of disability or impediment for injuries suffered and diseases or illness contracted, occupational disease or illness contracted, enumerates the injuries and illnesses with their equivalent impediment grades

starting from a high of 1 to a low of 14, which in turn, correspond to specific ratings in percentage of US $50,000. If only to illustrate, in the case of NYK-FIL SHIP Management, Inc., et. Al., v. Talavera (G.R. No. 175894, November 14, 2008), the Supreme Court found the seafarer to be entitled to disability benefits following the section opinion of his physician that he suffers from lumbar spondy-lopathy categorized as partial permanent disability with grade 8 impediment based on Section

32 computed at “ US$ 50,000 x 33.59%.” or amounting to US$ 16,795.00. It should be understood nonetheless, as pointed out in

the decision of the Supreme Court in Seagull Maritime C o r p o r a t i o n , et.al. vs Jaycee Dee, et.al. (G.R. No. 165156, April 2, 2007), that the schedule in the POEA-sec DOES not contain all the possible injuries that render a seafarer unfit for

further sea duties. Now comes the question, how does one become entitled Grade 1 disability

benefits which amount to US$ 60,000 based on the computation of “US$50,000 x 120%” under the schedule of disability allowances stated in Section 32? In the case of Philimare, Inc., et.al. v. Suganob (G.R. No.168753, July 9, 2008), the High Court ruled that to be entitled Grade 1 disability benefits, the seafares’s disability must not only be total but also permanent. The Court said: “Permanent disability is the inability of a worker to perform his job more than 120 days, regardless of whether or not to losses the use of any of his body….. Total disability on the other hand, does not mean absolute helplessness. In disability compensation, it is not the injury which is compensated, but rather the incapacity to work resulting in the impairment of one’s earning capacity. Total disability does not require that the employee be absolutely disabled, or totally paralyzed. What is necessary is that the injury must be such that the employee cannot pursue his usual work and earn thereform…” It becomes apparent that what is compensated in the case of permanent total disability is not the injury or illness of the seafarer but rather his inability to work resulting in the impairment of his earning capacity. Disability, as the Court observes, should be understood less on its medical significance but more on the loss of earning capacity. In other words, if it can be established that the disability of the seafarer, as a result of his work-related injury or illness during the term of his contract, prevents him from performing his usual work more than 120 days, regardless of whether or not he loses the use of any part of his body, then his entitled to Grade 1 disability benefits should more than ever become clear.

Understanding Disability Claims

It becomes apparent that what is compensated in the case of permanent total dis-ability is not the injury or illness of the seafarer but rather his inability to work resulting in the impairment of his earning capacity.

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 14

THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE Philippines clamps down on ‘ambulance chasers’

CARLO CASTRO

A landmark measure aiming to protect Filipino seafarers with labor claims from unscrupulous individuals and prohibiting so-called “ambulance chasers” from taking undue advan-tage of seafarers’ claims is awaiting President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III’s approval, in a move that could set precedent for crackdowns on ambu-lance chasers. Leaders from the Senate and the House of Representatives were hopeful that the President will soon sign the measure into law, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2835 and House Bill No. 5268, principally authored by Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara and Angkla Par-ty-list Rep. Jesulito A. Manalo, respec-tively. Engr. Nelson M. Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Sea-farers (UFS), a group that champions the cause of Filipino maritime workers, said that once the law is put into place, seafarer claims would be heard fairly by the courts. “The law will have a great impact on the maritime industry as ambulance chasers that keep pestering the industry will be a thing of the past,” Engr. Ramirez said. E n g r . Ramirez warned am-bulance chasers who encourage Filipino seafarers to file dubi-ous disability claims against their manning agencies and foreign principals to clean up their act as the UFS will campaign on all fronts against such claims. Notorious claims The Philippine maritime in-dustry is one of the bastions of the country’s economy, having been the world;s top supplier of seafarers since 1987. Today, roughly 400,000 are de-ployed Filipino seafarers worldwide and represents about 30 percent of the global maritime workforce. Last year, remittances of sea-based workers totaled $5.5 billion, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). In the first half of 2015, remittances of sea-based workers

reached $2.8 billion, or 3.7 percent high-er year-on-year. But these promising figures, and even the reputation of Filipinos as the “favorite” nationality in the global maritime industry, have been damp-ened by the ambulance chasers—law-yers, medical practitioners and other professionals who demand hefty sums of money and after the monetary claims only of Filipino seamen. Ambulance chasers have also taken a toll on Philippine-based man-ning agencies, who consistently lose foreign principals on account of the money-making activities of ambulance chasers. Engr. Ramirez, for his part, stat-ed that ambulance chasers were being lured into by the fact that Filipino sea-farers who have existing collective bar-gaining agreements (CBAs) are entitled to full disability compensation even on questionable grounds, and have their way to twist the interpretation of the provisions of the CBA. Under the proposed law, it shall be unlawful for any person to en-gage in ambulance chasing or the act of

soliciting, personally or through an agent, from seafarers or other work-ers similarly situated, or their heirs, to pursue any claim against an em-ployer for the purpose of recovery of monetary claim or benefit, includ-ing legal interest, arising from accident, illness of death, in exchange of an amount or fee which shall be retained or de-ducted from the mon-etary claim or benefit granted to or awarded to the seafarer or other workers similarly situat-ed or their heirs.

The bill also sets a limit on at-torney’s fees to only a maximum of 10 percent of the compensation awarded where its payment to the attorney is not due until the complainant-seafarer or worker is actually paid, and excess of such cap on attorney’s fees shall be null and void. This fee shall not be payable before the actual payment of the com-pensation or benefit awarded to the seafarer or other worker, or heirs there-of, except reasonable initial expenses in relation to handling the case. It sets

the penalty for ambulance chasers and those in collusion to be between Php 50,000 to a maximum of Php 100,000 and/or imprisonment of one to two years. Rep. Manalo, a representative of the maritime sector in the country, moved for the bill’s immediate approv-al in the House of Representatives. The Chamber passed its version last Decem-ber 15, 2014, while the Senate adopt-ed the House version and passed the measure last September 21, 2015. The lawmaker said that while the Code of Professional Responsibility of Lawyers prohibits ambulance chas-ing, no statutory provision, exists which totally, directly, and expressly prohibits this abominable practice in the enforce-ment of labor rights.” “There is a real sense of urgen-cy to rectify the problem on ambulance chasing. Thus, to put teeth into the law, parties found in violation of the statute shall be meted a penalty of a fine of not

Under the proposed law, it shall be unlawful for any person to engage in ambulance chasing or the act of soliciting, personally or through an agent, from sea-farers or other workers similarly situated, or their heirs, to pursue any claim against an employer for the purpose of recovery of monetary claim or benefit, in-cluding legal interest, arising from accident, illness of death, in exchange of an amount or fee which shall be retained or de-ducted from the monetary claim or benefit granted to or awarded to the seafarer or other workers similarly situated or their heirs.

less than Php 50,000 but not more than Php 100,000, or by imprisonment of one year but not more than two years, or both fine and imprisonment,” Manalo said. “The truth is, the adverse effects of ambulance chasing cascade down to the people and our economy. Sadly, am-bulance chasers go to lengths to push seafarers to file labor cases against their foreign employers, claiming for benefits even beyond the claims they are actually entitled to. This then leads foreign ship owners to no longer re-employ Filipino seafarers, threatening the decline if not loss of the annual billion dollar remit-tances they bring into the country,” he said. Considering the numerous alarming stories about the deleterious practice of some lawyers and other in-dividuals who charge seafarers uncon-scionable legal fees from a range of 30 percent to a high of 60 percent, Manalo persistently moved for the bill’s immedi-ate passage.

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Coast Guard commemorates anniversary, thanks people

behind its successJULES ANDREW GARCIA

On October 15, 2015, Admiral Rodolfo Isorena recognized its armed forces and allies who were a part of PCG’s journey towards securing local maritime operations, among others for a job well done. The PCG commandant discussed on his speech—which he delivered before hundreds of guests from different government and maritime sectors—the continuous decrease on the number of reported maritime-related accidents since last year. “Noong 2014, halos nangalahati ang mga aksidenteng pandagat at mas bumaba pa ito ngayong taon,” says Isorena. He praised PCG’s extraordinary diligence and collaborative efforts in ensuring the safety of Philippine seas and everything therein. Congressman Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo served as the

FOCUS

The lady cadets of the Phil-ippine Coast guard endure the blistering heat of the sun during the welcome ceremony of Coast Guard’s 114th anniversary.

SALUTE

Congressman Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo was given a warm welcome by the Philippine Coast Guard as he entered the venue.

GUIDANCE

The 114th founding celebra-tion of the Philippine Coast Guard started with a holy mass early in the morning.

keynote speaker of the event in lieu of Romblon Representative Eleandro Jesus Madrona. He discussed the efforts that are being done in the House to address the concerns of the maritime industry and its people. He cited, in particular, the House Bill 5112 or “AN ACT MODERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE THE PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD MODERNIZATION TRUST FUND AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR”. The bill was submitted to the committee of Transportation for thorough study during the second session of the 16th congress. More so, he said they are also pushing to raise the monthly salary of an apprentice seafarer up to Php. 27, 800 and seeks to embark

CONTINUE ON PAGE 23

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

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C/ENGR. RODOLFO B. VIRTUDAZO

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“Let no man forget how menacing we are! We are lions! Do you know what’s there, waiting beyond that beach? Im-mortality! Take it! It’s yours!”

Once more, my daughter Ma-ria Loren and I were exchanging pleas-antries one Sunday lunch time when the all-time popular quotation of Achil-les popped up. She said that it was the favorite quotation of the speaker in her school conference for students from the movie Troy. She was fascinated with symbols used in the quotation as what the speaker explained that she even turned to the Internet to review the exact statement of Achilles. The speaker explained to them that “immortality” symbolizes success. What Achilles said may also be applicable to them as students. When you reach the “beach” after encoun-tering many problems and difficulties, you will obtain triumph and success. They may be experiencing so many

battles in life, e.g., never-ending re-searches and reviews before the exam, not to mention financial problems, but after striving hard, rewards await them. They will be able to graduate with pride and achieve their dreams because having a good education will be their stepping

stone to success. After the trials come the triumphs in life if they will be per-severing and tena-cious to complete the requirements, researches and the

like. “They were empowering words of wisdom,” Ren-Ren added. “His talk has inspired us students. It has empowered us to pre-pare for the worst and hope for the best in our studies since education is

the best gift that our parents have giv-en us. “Listening to what he said, we realized that whenever we will feel down about ourselves, we should always remember that we can still achieve the impossible by doing it with

hard work and determi-nation. “It made me feel that I am not trapped inside a box. Instead I am the person who can widen my horizon and surpass all my hardships.” What a statement! For me, many of us can also relate to the strong words of Achilles. I am amazed with the many stories of seafarers who

endured all the trials in their life and did their best to reach their “beach” and achieve “immortality.” Some-times, we find it hard to accomplish the tasks that we really wanted done.

There are times also that our will pow-er has grown weaker through the years but because of the challenges that we encounter, we are once more strength-ened to rise up again and work harder for our dreams for our family. Ren-Ren added that “respon-sible compartmentalization” can also be learned among seafarers, especial-ly the “newbies,” as she termed it. “It means taking one step at a time. By doing this, you can accomplish your tasks and try not to overload your-selves with so much work as stress is one of the known causes of poor work leading to poor health, according to studies.” As we all know, we encounter so many battles: rough weather con-dition at sea, piracy threat, hazardous jobs on board; the effects of the long separation and distance from our fam-ilies that frequently cause stress, strain and unhappiness. Then there are the red tape and long queue while processing our documents, unfair contract of employ-ment, which may have left many sea-farers unpaid or kept on beyond their original contract term, and a host of other battles out there which the UFS led by Engr. Nelson Ramirez take to the Senate and even to the streets to call the attention of the government to take care of the more than 400,000 strong army of seafarers. Deployed overseas, they sacrifice and have greatly contributed to the welfare of millions of their family members and dependents, as well as to our national economy. As many of us know, Engr. Ramirez, who like Achilles urging his myrmidons at Troy, has been loud and clear in his advocacy for the good of every seafarer, the cornerstone of an industry that moves 90 percent of world trade. For our part, let us be “li-ons,” who take hold of everything that is noble and heroic that is out there! Immortality is yours, you who have largely contributed to the socio-eco-nomic development of our nation, with your ever growing annual dollar remittances, which for 2014 alone was estimated by the Bangko Central ng Pilipinas at $5.6 Billion.

As many of us know, Engr. Ramirez, who like Achilles urging his myrmidons at Troy, has been loud and clear in his advocacy for the good of every seafarer, the cor-nerstone of an industry that moves 90 percent of world trade.

Beach in the vast horizon

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 16

SAILOR’S CORNER

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 17

Centennial Transmarine Holds Blessing Rites in its New Office

The Centennial Transma-rine Incorporated office was official-ly inaugurated in its newly renovat-ed office at the San Andres corner M.H. del Pilar St. , Malate Manila. Captain Jeff Solon together with Mark Buchanan and Atty. Gatmay Tan took part in the cutting of rib-bon to mark the official opening of the new office. The new office promotes a more open environment, which creates an effective communication among staff most especially for the convenience of our fellow seafarers. The office also offers the finest facil-ities, modern and new technology, spacious meeting rooms and better internet connection for a more effi-cient office opera-tions and delivery of services. “We are very proud of our new office. I think the most impor-tant thing we have achieved in the layout is the open-ness where the barriers between diplomats and staff are reduced significantly,” said President Ed Jab-la . Construction of the new office has been in full-swing since the fleet started operations in Mag-saysay in April 2012. The new Gear-bulk Magsasyay office consists of a boardroom, three executive offic-es, pantry and a spacious lobby to welcome the officers, crew, families

and guests. The renovation of their office marks a new chapter in the longstanding and good bilateral re-lationship between their company and Filipino seafarers. He also not-ed that investment in a new Embas-sy is another strong signal of Nor-way’s long term commitment to the Philippines, as well as to the ASEAN community. The first full-fledged Cen-tennial Transmarine was estab-lished in 1967 in Damarinas Village. Their service continued to develop and strengthen with the maritime sector in full force and other areas of cooperation have grown. The ceremony incorporated the tradi-tional ways of inauguration in the

Philippines such as the blessing of facilities. Throwing of coins to signify continued suc-cess. Numerous guests were present to wit-ness the inauguration, including Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, members of the diplo-matic corps, Philippine and Norway business sector stakeholders and representatives

from the government.

One-Stop ship management Centennial Transmarine truly offers full set of services and a vast experience when it comes to crew management. According to their principal Mark Buchanan, a capable, well trained crew onboard is a key factor in successfully oper-

ating a vessel. Centennial Transma-rine has throughout the years distin-guished itself by developing an own pool of seamen who are well-edu-cated and trained to privide quslity services. Cebntennial makes an ef-fort to simulate crew and improve their qualitities which shows in the

The new office promotes a more open environ-ment, which creates an effective communication among staff most espe-cially for the convenience of our fellow seafarers.

JONA ANTONIO

high retention rates. Centennial Transmarine office staff, and crew pose to celebrate the inauguration of their newly renovated office. grace the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the inauguration of the new office of the Norwegian Embassy in Taguig on Monday.

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

FRANCISCO J. COLAYCOChairman, Colayco Foundation for EducationEntrepreneur, Venture Developer and Financial Advisor

Ang mga tips na ito ay ga ling sa website na Zen Habits (tingnan sa http://zenhabits.net/simple-liv-ing-manifesto-72-ideas-to-simpli-fy-your-life ) na binibigyan ko ng kahu-lugan at koneksyon sa pera. Tip #. 25: “Pagaanin ang bu-hay. Kadalasan, nagiging kumplikado ang mga gawain dahil hindi planado at hindi rin pinag-isipan. Pagtuunan ang isang sistema (ang iyong laundry system, errands system, paperwork system, email system, atbp) at gawin itong simple, mas magaan, at isulat ito.” Tip # 26: “Gumawa ng sim-pleng sistema sa pag-aayos ng mail at paperwork. Kung wala kang siste-ma, tatambak ang mga mail at paper-work.” Tip # 27: “Gumawa ng sim-pleng sistema para sa gawaing bahay.

Isang halimbawa ng simpleng sistema ang clean as you go with a burst.” Pansinin na sinasabi rin ng Zen Habits na napakahalagang isulat ang ano mang plano. Ito rin ang payo ko sa mga gumagawa ng pinansiyal na plano. Ayon sa mga pag-aaral, mas naisasakatuparan ang mga plano kapag nakasulat ito kaysa kung nasa memorya lamang. Makatutulong ito sa buhay pinansiyal at sa kahit ano mang layunin. May epekto sa savings at spending habits ang pagkakalagay ng mga bagay sa tamang lugar. Kalilipat lamang ng tirahan ng aking kaibigan at ikinuwento niya sa akin ang kaniyang personal na himutok. Masinop siya sa kaniyang mga dokumento, pero nawa-la ang ilang bills ng credit card kaya hindi nabayaran sa tamang oras. Nang dumating ang susunod na bills, napa-

tungan na siya ng interest at penalties. Siyempre, ikinainis iyon ng kaibigan ko kahit na may kasalanan din siya sa nangyari. Pero natuto na siya, kaya’t gumawa siya ng sistema para maba-yaran ang mga bills kahit na mawala ang mga billing statement. Nakakatipid ng pera ang sis-temang “clean as you go” ng Zen Hab-its kahit na hindi mo iyon namama-layan. Napakadaling huwag munang ayusin ang mga bagay habang abala ka sa gawain mo. Halimbawa, marami sa atin ang hindi nag-aayos ng kama pag-kagising, o naglilinis ng banyo matapos maligo, lalo na kung may ibang tao naman na naglilinis para sa iyo. Kapag inaayos mo agad o tinakpan ang iyong kama pagkagising, mananatiling ma-linis nang mas matagal ang mga bed-sheets. Kung nalilinisan agad ang iyong shower, mababawasan ang pagdami ng bacteria at mildew. Mas magastos maglinis kapag naipon na ang dumi, bacteria at mildew. P w e d e n g isipin na maliliit na bagay lang ang mga ito, pero kung desidi-do kayong makapag-tipid, nakatutulong pati ang mga maliliit na tip. Tip # 28:

“Ayusin ang iyong desk. Kung magulo ang desk mo, mas madali kang malito at ma-stress.” Tip # 29: “Magtalaga ng rou-tine. Ang pagkakaroon ng simpleng routine ang susi upang maging simple ang buhay.” Tip # 40: “Linisin ang email inbox.” Punung-puno ba ng new at read email ang iyong inbox? At patuloy pa rin bang dumarami ang email mo? Kung oo, normal lang iyon. Pero pwede mo pang gawing mas simple ang iyong email.” Tungkol sa iyong pang-araw-araw na buhay ang tatlong tips na ito. Magtalaga ng routine na magta-takda kung saang “box” mo ilalagay ang mga bagay sa iyong buhay. Kung hindi mo pa naisasaayos ang iyong desk, simulang pagsamahin ang lahat ng files. Isa-isahin ang bawat doku-

mento at ilagay sa angkop na “box” o kaya’y itapon na agad sa “Trash”. Pangalanan ng URGENT ang box at doon ilagay ang mga bagay na kailangan mong bigyan ng atensyon kaagad. Pangalanan ng READ LATER ang mga bagay na interesante pero makakapaghintay naman kapag hin-di ka na busy. Pwede ka ring gumawa ng box na may nakasulat na FILES para sa mga dokumentong kailangan mong itago sa loob ng maraming taon. Pwede ka ring gumawa ng box gaya ng INSTRUCTIONS/WARRANTIES kapag nagkaroon ka ng bagong kagamitan. Mainam na alam mo kung paano iyon paganahin nang tama lalo na kung minsan mo lang iyon gamitin. Kapag nasira naman ang mga kagamitan, makakatipid ka dahil naitago mo ang Warranty Card. Ang konsepto ng “boxes” ay pwede ring gamitin sa pagsasaayos ng buhay pinansiyal. Itago ang mga utility

bills sa isang envelope upang makita kung paano ninyo nakokon-trol ang gastos. Ganito rin ang gawin sa lahat ng ibang expenses. May mga “boxes” din na may kaugnayan sa iyong savings. Sa paggawa ng iyong personal fi-nancial plan, dapat nakaayos sa mga box-

es ang iyong mga layunin. Mayroon kang SHORT TERM BOX para sa mga NEEDS mo sa taon. Kabilang dito ang mga perang pam-bayad sa tuition fees, insurance premi-ums, etc. Hindi monthly ang pagbayad sa mga nasabing gastos; may takdang petsa lamang kung kailan dapat mag-babayad. Ibig sabihin, hindi ka dapat nangungutang para mabayaran ang mga ito dahil pwede naman itong pag-planuhan bago dumating ang takdang araw. Ang MEDIUM TERM box naman ay para sa mga savings na gagamitin para sa pambili ng ba-hay, kotse, at iba pang major items. Ang LONG TERM box ay para naman sa iyong retirement. Kahit

CONTINUE ON PAGE 23

Ayon sa mga pag-aaral, mas naisasakatuparan ang mga plano kapag nakasulat ito kaysa kung nasa memorya lamang. Makakatulong ito sa buhay pinansiyal at sa kahit anumang layunin.

Gawing Simple ang Buhay (Ika-5 Bahagi)

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 18

PISOBILITIES

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 19

Some ‘Balikbayan’ boxes are used as conduits of smuggling – Ramirez

Following the full physical ex-amination of suspicious ‘balikbayan’ box-es at Manila Port Area, October 6, Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez expressed dismay over unlawful consignment of high-value goods in commercial quantities stressing that such action should never be tolerat-ed. “The duty and tax-free shipment service offered by the government is apparently being abused by some,” said Engr. Ramirez, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) president and OFW Advocates Coalition (OAC) representative. The inspection was initiated after Bureau of Customs (BOC) found through its x-ray scanners that there are shipments that contain illegal

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

MANUAL INSPECTION

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, along with the officials of the Bureau of Customs, discovers misdeclared items shipped through ‘balik-bayan’ boxes.

importations that are of huge quantities. Customs authorities, together with Ramirez, discovered that a majority of suspected ‘balikbayan’ boxes actually contain bulks of undeclared items which include beauty products, alcoholic beverages, supplements, among others and do not have individual addressees but corporations, instead. Only two of them are deemed legitimate as they contain mere household and personal items addressed to a certain person. According to the Philippine

X-RAY SCANNERS

Shipments undergo initial x-ray scanning procedure held at the Port Area, Manila; visitors and officials alke are advised to stay away from the actual area to get rid of radiation.

KEEN ATTENTION

Engr. Ramirez and BOC officials list down the illegal balikbayan in-cluding the number of misdeclared items therein.

Tariff and Customs Code, “Balikbayan” boxes should only contain household and personal effects of the OFWs;

anything otherwise especially in commercial quantities is considered smuggled and illicit. In a memorandum dated August 27 signed by Commissioner Alberto D. Lina, the BOC said the ‘balikbayan’ boxes will only undergo x-ray and K-9 examinations as means of shipment inspection after President Benigno Aquino ordered the halt of the

arbitrary physical inspections of such which drew flak from netizens and

OFWs alike. The physical examination, however, is still being implemented but only for the ‘balikbayan’ boxes tagged “suspect”. These boxes were declared to contain household and personal properties but actually contain hefty commercial products. BOC X-ray Inspector Benjamin L. Cajumoc explained that physical examination is only being done in emergency cases when x-ray scanners have detected irregularities in the cargos and that it will not be carried out without the presence of apprehending officers, freight forwarder consolidator, representatives of the Overseas Filipino Welfare Administration (OWWA), and/or a designated officer of an OFW Association.

According to the Philippine Tariff and Customs Code, “Balikbayan” boxes should only contain household and personal effects of the OFWs; anything otherwise especially in commercial quantities is considered smuggled and illicit. “

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

Correspondent, Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Philippines (MPHRP)

PAULO VILLAVICENCIO

ISWAN-MPHRP PH&SEA: Back and Operational

The Maritime Piracy Hu-manitarian Response Programme in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (MPHRP PH&SEA) region, under the highly respected seafarers’ charity or-ganization based in London, United Kingdom, Interna-tional Seafarers Wel-fare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), is officially re-opened this November 2, 2015. With the di-rections of ISWAN’s Executive Director Roger Harris and the newly appoint-ed Program Manag-er Tom Holmer, the MPHRP Philippines and Southeast Asia regional office will carry on in its op-erations of assistance and care to the seafarers and families affected by maritime piracy. Regional Direc-tor Rancho Villavicencio continues to steer the program in the region, while Renato Pablo remains to be of assis-tance as the program administrator, together with Rigel Dingcong as a new staff and Paulo Villavicencio as a volunteer.

ISWAN-MPHRP in LMS Maritime Security Summit 2015

ISWAN-MPHRP was invited

to be one of the key speakers in the Leatherneck Maritime Security Con-sulting Ltd. (LMS) Maritime Security Summit 2015 in Manila Marriott Hotel, Pasay City, Philippines on November 5. With the theme: “Maritime Security Moving Forward,” the summit aims to facilitate collaboration among maritime stakeholders, solution provid-

ers and the local gov-ernment to effectively agree with strategies on maritime securi-ty. This is to identify emerging problems and form strategic and immediate solutions to further lessen and avoid piracy and rob-bery, cyber-attacks at sea, port and onshore facilities and other re-lated concerns includ-ing the risk of com-mercial navigation in

situations in the South China Sea.

The event was organized by Leatherneck Maritime Security Con-sulting (LMS). International Maritime Consultant/Managing Partner of LMS, Aaron William Key II opened the sum-mit, followed by a welcome address by Atty. Jabeth Dacanay, Chief of Staff-Of-fice of the Administrator of Maritime Industry Authority, on behalf of the MA-RINA Administrator Maximo Q. Mejia.Representatives from the Allmode Limited firm, University of the Phil-

ISWAN-MPHRP in LMS Maritime Security Summit 2015

ISWAN-MPHRP Philippines & Southeast Asia Region Staff: (L-R) Program Administrator-Re-nato Pablo, Regional Director-Rancho Villavicencio, Volunteer-Paulo Villavicencio and Staff-Rigel Dingcong during their meeting on November 2

ISWAN-MPHRP Philippines & Southeast Asia Regional Director Rancho Villavicencio talks about the services and programs locally at the LMS Maritime Security Summit 2015 in Marri-ott Hotel, November 5CONTINUE ON PAGE 46

Unified with ISWAN’s purpose to always put first and promote sea-farer welfare worldwide, MPHRP has been existing as a pan-indus-try alliance of ship owners, man-agers, manning agents, insurers and welfare associations – working together “to assist seafarers and their families with the humanitari-an aspects of a traumatic incident caused by a piracy attack, armed robbery or being taken hostage.”

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 20

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 21

Topnotch facilities and office reinvention marked the 21st year of Bright Maritime Corporation (BMC) this August 15 as one of the most established and well-known maritime manning agen-cies in the country, unparalleled still in its commitment of providing quality crews for various types of vessels worldwide. What started as an agency that a five-man workforce is now transformed into a topnotch facility, all geared up to accommodate Filipino seafarers that have been named the modern heroes of the Philippine economy through their remittances which largely fueled the soar-ing financial progress of the country. At the fourth and fifth floors of Maritime Center Tower sit the latest home of BMC, donning a classy centralized hub that exhibits a huge expanse for training rooms deserving of seafarers preparing themselves for the voyage of their lives. From its humble beginnings at Sta. Mesa, Manila in 1994, BMC now houses one of the most convenient and reliable facilities at the very heart of the shipping industry at Ermita, Manila. Year after year, BMC continues to improve and innovate relentlessly, in order to address the unyielding demand for seafarers that dream for their careers on the sea. The celebration of 21st anniver-sary of BMC kick-started with a mass led by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Chaplain Commander Jude Thaddues M. Besinga, where he acknowledged the part played by BMC in the field while congratulating its management for its latest accommo-dations for future sailors. In a speech after the blessing

BMC: 21 Years of Unrivaled Seafaring Excellence

of the whole building that now houses BMC, company President Ms. Desiree P. Sillar ex-pressed her joy over the latest achievement clinched by BMC and its people, saying that their immeasurable hard work has borne fruit to the offices that stand before them today. She likewise said that the blessing of the building will pave the way to a more amicable environment for all that it may ac-commodate. Sillar also mentioned that hope is high for the inauguration of the whole building itself. “We’ve been waiting for this one; this is our trophy for working so hard and I am happy we are here. We bless the building to-day so we would be able to have harmonious working relationship with each other and we hope we can be working better,” she said. “We will be looking forward to the day that the building will be inaugurated. So, have a good time and welcome to the Mari-time Plaza building,” Sillar added. Together with Sillar during the event was BMC Executive Vice President Ms. Natividad Ebron, who was hands-on through-out the whole program. Different principals from different manning agencies were also present in the event, including United Filipino Seafarers President Engineer Nelson Ramirez. Engr. Ramirez, who was with his wife during the celebration, said he was de-lighted that the BMC is now housed at the Maritime Plaza building, lauding the facilities it has innovatively designed to become its new office and center of operations. Meanwhile, the program continued with a special sing and dance number by the PCG choir, followed by another song number specially prepared for the guests by Fr. Besin-ga.

Attendees, namely staff mem-bers and cadets of the BMC, were also invited to join party games in lieu of the momentous occasion. As another year begins for BMC, it has become even more committed to becoming the best of the best in the field of crewing and shipping. As it continues to earn laurels for its relentless efforts to prevails as one of the most stable and pro-lific manning agencies in the country, the future is surely bright for BMC. Its relentless pursuit for excel-lence, topped with unmatched passion and resilience, will surely deliver BMC to the peak of its devotion to deploy high-ly-qualified Filipino seafarers to the ves-sels of its growing roster of principles.

JONA ANTONIO

FEATURES

Company President Ms. Desiree P. Sil-lar expressed her joy over the latest achievement clinched by BMC and its people, saying that their immeasur-able hard work has borne fruit to the offices that stand before them today.

MANUAL INSPECTIONStaff members and officials of Bright Maritime Corporation (BMC) strike a rise at the end of the event.

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

MARITIME WEEK 2015

FEATURED STORY

Although less than 200 seafarers attended to start the 5th Philippine Seafarers Congress 2015, the whole Palacio De Manila was then jam-packed with thou-sands of mariners at around 11 in the morning right after Hon. Sen-ator Sonny Angara’s inspirational speech last September 21 at the Palacio De Manila. Regardless of few at-tendees during the earlier part of the event, Senator Angara still honored all the Filipino seafarers whose hard work and sacrifices have greatly contributed not only to the welfare of their families but as well as to our national econo-my. “Kasalukuyan, 25% (o 400,000) ng mga seafarers sa mundo ay Pilipino. Tayo po ang number one at paborito ng mun-do dahil bihasa sa Ingles, madal-

ing matuto at maparaan. Maliliit man tayo mataas pa rin ang ating tindig – kahit sa gitna ng maalon na karagatan,” delight-ed Senator Angara. On the oth-er hand, the own-er’s representative in the Philippines of Alpha Navigation from Ukraine Simon Varias along with their COO; and C/Engr. Tony Gascon of Protect Marine also graced the said oc-casion. To jump-start the annual National Maritime Week, United Filipino Seafarers in coordination with Luneta Seafar-ers Welfare Foundation and Exlink Events spearheaded and formally declared the 5th Philippine Sea-

farers Congress highlighting the theme of “Strong Maritime Rela-tion…The catalyst for Maritime

Progress”. UFS, a two-decade mari-time union gathered together fellow sea-farers as well as dif-ferent ship manning agencies to build a strong connection in the maritime field and retain the title of being the world’s number one when it comes in producing globally competitive mariners.

It was indeed a very interactive session as Congress’ participants raise their old and new issues throughout the open forum. Invited guest speakers were able to provide some answers and even

stir up action from the participants. The attendees enjoyed lots of raf-fle prizes that were given away by the organizers and sponsors of the events. Earlier, just the sun rose at five in the morning, a massive mo-torcade was held as participants from various ship manning agen-cies, maritime schools, training centers, medical centers, and other government agencies assembled at the LUSWELF grounds going to Palacio De Manila. Despite of some woes and difficulties, the assembly was still a successful one. The unity among Filipino seafarers prevailed in the latter part of the event. So if you can’t be bothered to act on your discomfort regarding maritime is-sues, you better not complain; in-stead attend the next year’s Philip-pine Seafarers’ Congress.

Kasalukuyan, 25% (o 400,000) ng mga seafarers sa mundo ay Pilipino. Tayo po ang number one at paborito ng mundo da-hil bihasa sa Ingles, madaling matuto at maparaan. Maliliit man tayo mataas pa rin ang ating tindig – kahit sa gitna ng maalon na karagatan

-Senator Sonny Angara

““

JONA ANTONIO

TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 22

Chasing Law, Cong. Manalo irked a lot of shipowners. They said that the bill is weak and seems to just put on a show that Angkla is doing something. Seasoned maritime lawyers are even saying that this law violates the constitutional fiat on separation of powers specifically section 5(5), article VII 1987 Constitution. The 1987 Constitution took away the powers of Congress to repeal, alter, or supplement rules concerning pleading, practice and procedure. In fine, the power to promulgate rules, pleading, practice and procedure is no longer shared by the Supreme Court with Congress, more so with the executive, they added. One of the speakers from the UK P&I Club expressed his alarm on the staggering claims filed by the Filipino seafarers which have gone

up from the $1.2M in 2009 to $ 16.36 million. Thompson said there have been 131 cases in a span of 24 months. Only 18 cases have been recorded to be under the NCMB but accounts for $1.721 milion. One “ambulance chasing” lawyer accounts for 61 of all cases before the NLRC which is equivalent to $4.5 million. One foreign delegate said, “Your government is trying to tone down the situation but we, as principals, are feeling the punch of the NLRC and the NCMB. It is very real to us.”

The maritime industry sees through the lies Some delegates said, “We all know about the problems with MARINA and we all know about the NCMB and NLRC, it is not something we are blind to.” Another principal said, “For them to just stand there and feed us with all these lies are very insulting. We are aware. They cannot hide their inefficiency from us.”

CCG Conference and the Filipino Government Ofiicials

from page 6

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 23

on an agreement with other South East Asian nations, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand in providing local maritime a monetary assistance for the pursuance of its mandate. Acedillo said that these neighboring countries have already expressed—during the initial meeting—their interest to pursue such. The celebration gathered some of the local maritime industry’s big personalities including the leaders of various sectors. Also present were US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, Singapore’s Kok li Peng, among others.

Coast Guard commemorates anniversary, thanks people

behind its successfrom page 15

anuman ang iyong edad, kailangan mo nang paghandaan ang retirement. Pwede mong bitiwan ang iba mong gastos, pero kailangan mo laging mag-tabi para sa iyong retirement. Ang boxes para sa mga goals

Gawing Simple ang Buhay(Ika-5 Bahagi)

from page 18

na ito ay mga bank accounts, invest-ment certificates, o kaya’y listahan ng mga halagang naitabi. Manatiling nakatutok sa Pera mo, Palaguin Mo sa DZXL 558 tuwing Lunes, 11 am hanggang 12 noon. Gusto mo ba matuto kung paano palaguin ang iyong ipon? Su-mali sa aming Investing 101 seminar na gaganapin sa March 21 sa auru-mOne hotel, Makati City. Tumawag sa 6373731/41 or 09178632131 at hanapin si Ms. Gilda Bumatay para magpa-rehis-tro. Kung ikaw ay may mga tanong tungkol sa aming mga libro, tumawag lang sa 09178632136 or mag-email sa [email protected]. Avail-able ang aming mga libro sa National Bookstore outlets o kaya’y sa www.la-zada.com.ph. Tip # 31: “Matutong mabuhay nang simple. Ibig sabihin nito, kapag-katamtaman ang iyong paggastos, kaunti rin ang iyong mga pangangaila ngan (wants), at mas maliit ang epek-tong naidudulot mo sa kalikasan.” Tip # 32: “Gawing minimalist ang bahay. Matatagpuan sa minimalist na bahay ang lahat ng mga mahahala-gang bagay, at halos wala nang iba pa. Maaliwalas at mapayapa ang ganitong bahay (at madali pang linisin).” Tip # 33: “Humanap ng ibang paraan para maging minimalist. Mara-ming paraan upang maging minimalist

ang iba pang bahagi ng buhay mo.” Natandaan ko ang kasabi-hang “Simplicity is Beauty.” Habang tumatanda ako, mas nauunawaan ko ang kahulugan nito. Habang bata pa, iniisip nating mahalagang magkaroon ng napakaraming bagay dahil naipapa-kita natin na kaya nating bilhin ang mga iyon. Sa totoo lang, kapag kaya mong bilhin ang isang bagay, hindi nanganga-hulugang pwede mo iyong ipagmalaki. Minsan nga, ipinagmamalaki ng ilan sa atin ang mga bagay na hindi naman talaga nila kayang bilhin. Talagang nag-yayabang lang sila. Maraming mayayamang tao ang nagpasyang maging minimalist. Humahanga ako dahil hindi sila naaa-pektuhan kahit na sinasabi ng ibang tao na kulang sila sa damit at gamit. Halos walang laman ang kanilang mga bahay pero maganda ang pagkakadisenyo. Simple lang ang kulay ng mga decor. Maayos ang tabletops at lahat ng mga pangangailangan ay nakatago sa mga cabinet. Ang pagiging minimalist ay ang pagkakaroon ng mga pinakakaila ngan lamang. Kung kaya mong bilhin ang iyong WANTS, bukod sa NEEDS, pwede ka pa ring maging minimalist kung ang bibilhing WANTS ay simple lang at hindi matakaw sa atensyon. Pwede ka ring maging minimalist sa pamamagitan ng iyong mga kilos. Ang pagiging minimalist ay

nangangahulugang hindi ka mag- aasam ng pinakabagong gadgets o pagsusuot ng pinakausong pananamit. Makakatipid ka sa ganitong paraan. Hindi mo kailangang bumili nang na-pakarami. Pwede mong gamitin nang paulit-ulit ang iyong mga gamit. Hindi ka rin nahuhumaling sa mga fad. Alam kong may mga tagasu-baybay tayo na nag-iisip na bagama’t walang-wala na nga sila, may lakas pa ako ng loob magpayo na maghangad sila ng mas kaunti. Naiintindihan ko ang kanilang kalagayan. Pero kung im-bes na kaawaan ang sarili, ay magsusu-mikap silang panatilihing malinis ang kanilang kapaligiran, at tanggalin ang mga nakakagulong aspeto ng kanilang buhay, maaari pa rin nilang maipag-malaki na minimalist din sila. Gusto mo bang matuto kung paano palaguin ang iyong ipon? Kapag nasa Maynila, sumali sa aming mga seminar. Tumawag sa 0917-8632131 or 6373731/41 para magpa-rehistro. Ang schedule ay nasa www.colaycofinan-cialeducation.com. Kapag wala kayong matirhan sa Maynila, pumunta sa aurumOne Makati Hotel, Evangelista St., Maka-ti City. Ito ang hotel na ang may-ari ay mga miembro ng KsKCoop (www.ksk-coop.com) May special price para sa inyo.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 61

In 2014, a set back in the number of deployed Filipino seafarers was recorded by the Philippine Overseas

Employment Administration (POEA) --3,268 difference compared to 2013.

CATEGORY

YEAR

2006 20082007 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

OFFICER

RATING

NON-MARINE

OTHERS

TOTAL

52, 757 81,76178,89357,77351,353

226,900

2,117

35,807

137,563

230,022

2,178

38,508

136,579

81,36986,63684,83690,506

696

158,808

92,027

261,614

17,500

87,621

98,720

330,424 366,865

15,702

129,822

369,104

946

136,971

347,150

7,542

133,082

135,759139,211136,505140,681124,765

353,898

1,769

135,001

367,166

8,923

132,396

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS DIVISIONPLANNING BRANCHPOEA

PHILIPPINE OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT ADMINISTRATION (POEA)OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS

DEPLOYED FILIPINO SEAFARERS BY CATEGORY, 2006-2014

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 25

All sails are geared up as Unit-ed Filipino Seafarers finally filed certifi-cate of candidacy (COC) representing all Filipino seafarers to vie for a con-gressional seat in the exhilarating 2016 National Election, last October 15 at the Commission on Election. With a lot of heart and dedication towards championing the cause of Filipino seafarers, the man at the helm – UFS President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, together with one of UFS Board members Bienvenido Lorque filed their candidacy to embody every Filipino seafarer in the Congress. UFS pioneered the 5-year validation of the seaman’s book With the recently concluded massive protest led by UFS last October 14, they lambasted the mismanagement and malpractices of MARINA while conducting their mass oathtaking of officers held only in their car park. Together with almost 2,000 seafarers united in front of MARINA building, they held their placards and banners high voicing out their disgust regarding MARINA’s rotten administration. And for UFS, believing in the passion for a purpose or cause is essential to achievement. They avidly won the hearts and minds of Filipino seafarers, giving them the value of fighting for what is right and

what they deserve. UFS proved that their journey of commitment continue to withstand amidst all the challenges besetting Filipino mariners particularly illegal recruiters, abusive manning agencies and maritime training centers, red tape in government maritime agencies, substandard maritime schools, among a plethora of other problems.

Humble beginnings It was December 12, 1994 when UFS started from scuffs with a few boxes of newspapers and literally born under a tree in Luneta. Despite of funds and resources, UFS’ constant growth for 21 years is truly remarkable as they remain the seafarers’ haven for Filipino mariners as well as their families in voicing out their problems and seeking assistance regarding the maritime matters. UFS is truly hailed as one of the most influential seafarer unions in the Philippines. UFS will continue sailing for the welfare of Filipino mariners and never let the anchors down. Armed with a dedication comparable to a battle-ready knight in armor, UFS ventured into the maritime industry’s realm where no organization has ever been before. While uncertainly lurks on

the horizon, it did not deter UFS from pursuing its goals and objectives, always ready and willing to be the proverbial dragon-slayer. Twenty years since its humble beginnings on December 12, 1994, UFS has grown in size and number. It has likewise become one of the most influential seafarer unions in the Philippines. Amid its constant growth over the years, the UFS remains a seafarer’s haven where a seafarer, weary from a long voyage or happy over the blessings his family now enjoys, can bring good tidings as well as bad in a convivial setting. Indeed, UFS is more than a maritime union. It has transcended the conventional role of a bargaining

UFS partylist to run for Congress, vows to protect PH seafarers

entity for seafarers’ welfare and benefits and has embraced the broader responsibility of making the seafarer and his family an active member of the broader Philippine society. As UFS makes its presence felt in the global community, it never ceases to acknowledge its humble beginnings, hoping that this will give it the strength to fulfill its mission. In the end, the call remains the same – in unity, UFS gained strength and through unity, UFS will realize its vision for the Filipino seafarers and for the maritime industry, where it has become and will continue to be an integral part of.

NEW ENDEAVOR

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, along with two other UFS members, officially files UFS’ certificate of candidacy for partylist before the Commis-sion on Elections last October 15, 2015, and hopes to win a congressional seat to give Filipino seafarers a louder voice in the legislature.

SUPPORT

Filipino seafarers and cadets alike joined the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) in filing their certificate of candidacy (COC) to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

JONA ANTONIO

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

Philmancon 2015 held, lays down new roadmap towards maritime excellence

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

More than 400 delegates representing the business interest of the local and international maritime sector flocked to the Philippine Manning Convention (Philmancon) 2015 launched by the Joint Manning Group (JMG), November 10-11, and discussed various manning and seafaring-related issues and updates in relation to the local maritime’s quest for continuing global excellence. The two-day convention gathered manning agents, local and foreign ship owners, maritime unions, professional organizations for deck and engine officers, maritime schools, maritime lawyers, marine travel agents, and P&I correspondents to collectively talk about the important matters in the local maritime, identify the problems tormenting the sector and weave long-term solutions for such. The second wave of Philmancon was divided into four sessions. The topics included documentation and employment

practices, legal and legislative, maritime education, training, assessment and certification and seafarers’ welfare and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Shortly after, a group of panelists either gave reactions on the topics tackled by the speakers or share additional inputs to shed light on some gray areas which the attendees found confusing. During the kick-off on Tuesday, November, 10, Philippine Overseas E m p l o y m e n t A d m i n i s t r a t i o n (POEA) Administrator Hans Leo J. Cacdac led the first session by delivering a speech on the latest employment practices employed in the country which accordingly are “at par with global standards.” While in the second session, Presiding

Commissioner of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) Atty. Grace M. Tan , and OIC-Deputy Executive Director IV of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) Jay Jasper B. Javines gave separate talks on the developments

in crew claims. ANGKLA Partylist R e p r e s e n t a t i v e Jesulito A. Manalo, on the other hand, elaborated the common legislative agenda for a sustainable manning industry and took pride on the expected enactment of the a n t i - a m b u l a n c e chasing bill in to a law before the year ends.

On Wednesday, November 11, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Maximo Q. Mejia Jr. kicked off the third session with a speech on the state of the

Philippine Maritime Education and Training, beyond STCW Compliance. Shortly after, Mejia embarked on the Question and Answer portion where he seemed to have been stewed in his own juice as he caught himself unable to answer some important questions from the audience. When asked what is the significant difference between the re-taking of licensure examination among seafarers who were not into practice for five years or more and the abbreviated test which they recently introduced, Mejia was outwardly caught off guard. Aside from the content and scope, there is none. The consequences that the abbreviated test entails are no different to that of actual licensure exams. In the end, MARINA which is led by Mejia has not attended to the concerns of thousands of seafarers across the country. More so, he was also

The two-day convention gath-ered manning agents, local and foreign ship owners, maritime unions, professional organi-zations for deck and engine officers, maritime schools, maritime lawyers, marine trav-el agents, and P&I correspon-dents to collectively talk about the important matters in the lo-cal maritime, identify the prob-lems tormenting the sector and weave long-term solutions for such.

CONTINUE ON PAGE 47

TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 26

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 27

BZ Alpha launched, promises more jobs for PH seafarers by 2017

It was a frolic and fun-filled day for more than 2,000 Filipino seafarers who flocked at the Luneta Seafarers Welfare Foundation (LUSWELF), November 13, 2015 as BZ Alpha Navigation held its grand opening with an aim of bringing their institution closer to seafarers. The jam-packed three-hour program — which gathered seafarers for a massive celebration, sharing sumptuous and plentiful food while grooving to the upbeat music of Styrofoam band — was particularly staged to mark the launching of BZ Alpha Navigation, an international shipping agency in the Philippines whose mother company is Alpha Navigation headquartered in the United States of America (USA). Three of the company’s big bosses graced the event and laid down the projects and platforms that the company has crafted for the Filipino seafarers. Mrs. Lerman O. Clavel, vice president, discussed the benefits and the cadetship program including scholarship that they offer to their current and soon-to-be employees and selected scholars from local maritime schools, respectively; Mr. Simon A. Varias, director, said BZ Alpha specifically targets to guide and hone Filipino seafarers for further improvement in aptitude and other important aspects through their programs; while Mr. Bogdan Zelenski, founder, took the chance to thank all the attendees for such a heartfelt support and vowed to continue what they have started for the benefit of many Filipino seafarers. Captain Edgardo Flores of Navigator and Captain Reynold “Burt”

Sabay of New Simulator Center of the Philippines Inc. (NEWSIM) were invited to serve as keynote speakers who expressed their support to the ideals and present activities that BZ Alpha is employing. Both of them are supportive of BZ Alpha Navigation and will serve as partners in training the officers of the company. United Filipino Seafarers President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, who was also invited as a speaker, commended BZ Alpha Navigation’s unprecedented initiative of holding their grand opening day program in LUSWELF despite being a new kid in the block and

said that no other manning agency and shipping company had done such a grand launch of their company in Luneta park yet. Engr. Ramirez has always been supportive of BZ Alpha Navigation since Mr. Simon Varias

presented to them their program from cadetship until the time that the crew retires. He also bolstered the attendees’ hope towards having stable employment by taking pride of the expected high demands in maritime industry for Filipino seafarers as BZ Alpha is set to open the doors of its 700 vessels by 2017. In an interview, BZ Alpha Navigation Director Simon Varias said their company is confident that their 2017 vision of offering a number of jobs to Filipino seafarers is feasible. This is to answer the qualms of some with regard to their pronouncements about the expected increased demands for Filipino seafarers

in the global market amid the recent decrease in the number of deployed Filipino seafarers last 2014. “We have 700 vessels. We are not looking for them. We already have them,” Varias quipped. “Whoever questions that is only jealous.”

Confidence to Filipinos When asked why Alpha Navigation decided to establish a branch in the Philippines instead in other neighboring countries, Varias said his 25 years of stay in the Philippines gave him the validation that Filipino seafarers are indeed world-class workers, adding that their undisputed hard work and dedication for the maritime industry is what sets them apart from the rest of the world. He also credited the continuously improving maritime institutions in the country responsible at honing Filipino seafarers. “There are a lot of centers here in the Philippines that offer quality reviews and trainings for seafarers as well as academic institutions that prepare them to reach their maximum potentials and be at par with the global standards.” The director of BZ Alpha also divulged the 73 percent possibility that these training centers will be included in the white list, crediting the incalculable efforts of concerned groups and individuals in making sure that continued local maritime excellence transpires. BZ Alpha posted on facebook

There are a lot of centers here in the Philippines that offer quality reviews and trainings for seafarers as well as aca-demic institutions that prepare them to reach their maximum potentials and be at par with the global standards.

-Director Simon Varias

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

UNITEDBZ Alpha Navigation Director Simon Varias, Founder Bogdan Zelenski, United Filipino Sea-farers (UFS) President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez together with speakers and attendees pose after the event.

FESTIVITY

More than 2,000 attendees join BZ Alpha Nav-igation in celebrating its official opening day at the Luneta Seafarers’ Welfare Foundation (LUSWELF) and share plenty of equally deli-cious food.

SPRING OF HOPE

The attendees are delighted upon learning about the many jobs that will be made avail-able come 2017 by BZ Alpha Navigation as it will open its 700 vessels to Filipiono seafarers.

on November 10, 2015, an announcement encouraging interested applicants to apply for the following posts: Chief Engineer - Age Limit 60 years old2nd Engineer - Age Limit 55 years old2nd Officer - Age Limit 50 years old3rd Officer - Age Limit 37 years oldOiler- Age Limit 45 years old

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

NCMB holds seminar for voluntary arbitrators, settles issue on efficiency and partiality

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) con-ducted a continuing education sem-inar on the various maritime-related tactics and trends for accredited vol-untary arbitrators in which the issues involving the latter’s subjectivity and efficacy in carrying out decisions were also resolved. The two-day seminar, Oc-tober 22-23, 2015, held in the De-partment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is an annual regular retool-ing seminar for accredited volun-tary arbitrators to discuss various maritime-related issues and topics including new trends and tactics among its members. NCMB Voluntary Arbitration Division Chief Labor Employment Officer Corazon M. Fegi said the sem-inar aims to discuss different impor-tant maritime-related matters that can be of huge benefit to its mem-bers by “enhancing their skills and

capacities.” The seminar, through its fo-cused-group discussion (FCG), also gave way for the suggestions of the attendees; thus, recommendations on providing a training not just only for the voluntary arbitrators but also for the stakeholders about the POEA and collective bargaining agreement (CBA). “These trainings aim to build common understanding among dif-ferent parties,” said Regi. During the kick-off on Thurs-day, DOLE Underseceretary for Labor Relations Rebecca C. Chato deliv-ered an inspirational message which mainly focused on the direction of the voluntary arbitration program in the Phiippines. Atty. Hector L. Hofilena, maritime voluntary arbitrator, talked about ethical conduct for quasi-ju-dicial officers; Atty Francis V. Sobrevi-nas, accredited voluntary arbitrator,

discussed the updates on labor law jurisprudence; while Atty. Elmer D. Ni-tura, accredited voluntary arbitrator, closed the first day with a speech on the conciliation mediation process during voluntary arbitration proceed-ings. On Friday, Philippine Over-seas Employment Authority (POEA) explained the disability claims of Fil-ipino Seafarers and the POEA Stand-ard Employment Contract vis-à-vis collective bargaining agreement. Shortly after, Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez, reported certain updates on jurisprudence in the maritime in-dustry. Retired justices, along with the pillars of the local maritime sec-tor, were invited to join the seminar due to the adamant clamor from the stakeholders especially the manning agencies, insisting the need for legal education among them.

ANNUAL MEETING

Retired justices and members of various maritime sectors flock at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the yearly regular retooling seminar for voluntary arbi-trators.

VOICE OF THE SEAFARERS

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez says that further enhancement of accredited voluntary arbi-trators and stakeholders will further increase their efficiency and marketability

NCMB Voluntary Arbitration Division Chief Labor Employment Officer Corazon M. Fegi said the seminar aims to discuss different important maritime-related matters that can be of huge benefit to its members by “enhancing their skills and capacities.”

TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 28

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 31

Miraculous Herb Found in Fighting Liver Disease

LIVER

Oaths, Dirty Tricks, and MARINA: A Lesson in Manipulation?

from page 3

But what happened last October 14 was repre-hensibly undignified, what with the noise, the dust, the traffic, and the humid heat of the day.

CONFRONTRATION

Shorty after delivering a speech before hundreds of newly-registered and promoted officers, Michael Esplago, a member of Martime Industry Authority (MARINA) METTS, ap-proches United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez to deal with the latter’s concerns and proclamations.

Medical experts estimated that up to 60%to 70% of country’s popula-tion may have been infected with Hepa -B virus. Most liver damage are caused by virus-type infection, particularly B and C type hepatitis because when proceed to chronic stage, its activity becomes hepatic which then eventually consuming the liver cells; and may progress fur-ther into liver cancer, doctors said. Meanwhile, Prof. Itoh Oura of Toyoma University in Japan found out that two-thirds partial hepatectomy, she rate of liver re-generation was more than 34% higher than those of untreated rab-bits. Oura called the active com-ponent found in that medicinal herb as Protein Synthesis Stimulating Factor and named it “PROSTISOL” - after confirming its capability and efficacy in combating liver diseases. The most common liver disease is the Hepa-A, and in more severe case is Hepa-B. Both of them are acquired infection. Hepa-A is

more highly communicable than B though it is easier to cure. Most of the causes are oralfecal and food contamination due to unhygienic preparation and it can be transmit-ted through contamination by any of our body fluids in any occasions such as sexual intercourse, sharing of personal instrument, and in din-ing. On the other hand, Hepa-B is blood-borne and can only be transmitted through the use of any bladed or pointed instrument con-taminated with blood ofn an infect-ed person. it can also be acquired in some cases of sexual intercourse. The “miraculous herb”; which is now drawing a tremedous attention and curistk among the medical world, had been found to be free of any side effect and adverse reactions. For more infor-mation about the benefits of the miracle herb. you may contacty Ms. Digna Lizada @

Tels. (02) 400-3488, (02) 73-77325 or 0928-5019508

GROUND-BREAKING DISCOVERY

the manner in which the ceremo-ny attendees have been callously sacrificed. The occasion was sup-posed to have been a highlight of their budding maritime career, and given the challeng-es that the officers have endured in or-der to achieve that feat, it was an event that should have been celebrated with well-deserved pomp and circumstance. It’s important to point out that oath taking ceremonies for mer-chant marine officers have been customar-ily conducted at the Manila Hotel Ballroom; in more recent instanc-es when the number of attendees have been too small to organize such an event, it was always held inside one of MARINA’s multiple conference rooms, oftentimes with no less than Administrator Mejia himself presiding. But what hap-pened last October 14 was repre-hensibly undignified, what with the noise, the dust, the traffic, and the humid heat of the day. One of the UFS protes-

tors gave the following statement: “Nung andun na kami sa rally at nakita naming bihis na bihis yung mga nasa sa oath taking, naawa talaga kami. Ginamit sila ng MARI-

NA na pangharang. Sana na lang, ma-realize nila sa para sa kapakanan ng lahat ng marino yung pinaglalaban namin. Na-kakalungkot na binastos sila ng MARINA para lang makaiwas sa protesta. Dyan mo makikita na wala talagang malasakit sa amin yung mga na-kaupo.” (When we ar-rived at the rally venue and we saw the ceremo-

ny attendees dressed for a special occasion, we couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. MARINA used them as pawns. We just hope that they realize that what we are fighting for is for the benefit of all seafarers in the Philippines. It’s heartbreaking to see them being disrespected like that, just because MARINA wanted to protect their own backs. That’s how you know that those in posi-tion do not really have our best in-terests at heart.)©

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FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/UFS94/?fref=ts

TIMEA Look Back on UFS’ Successful Year

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

JULY

JUNE

MAY

APRILFEBRUARY

JANUARY

february 3

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN VER-SUS TERMINAL FEE

NO TO PHP 550 TERMINAL FEE

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) con-demned the imposition of Php 550 worth of terminal fee among mi-grant workers. UFS President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez said Secretary Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya and GM Angel Honrado violated the law for implementing such. UFS believes that the consitution has made itself clear that no travel tax, documentary stamps and air-port fee should be collected among Overseas Filipino Workers.

PROTEST RALLY AGAINST THE IMPOSITION OF PHP 500 TERMINAL FEE

february 4

Upon discovering that there are schools in the country that are of full operation despite having no accreditation from MARINA, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) criticized these schools’ existence and sum-moned that if they want to continue operating they should get accredit-ed first.

april 01

UFS’ REACTION ON NON-ACCREDITED SCHOOLS

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez shot at the MARITIME ACADEMY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC (MAAP) for the televi-sion program shown in UNTV-- Tinig ng Marino.

may 07

TV SHOOTING FOR “TINIG NG MARINO”

More than a hundred of Filipino seafarers and cadets led by Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez marched towards the Chinese Embassy to tell China to back off and leave Kalayaan Is-land Group and Panatag Shoal.

MARCH FOR PEACEjune 12

This is our way of showing our protest in our own little way rather than do nothing at all.

- United Filipino Seafarers (UFS)

“january

UFS ON SINKING OF VESSELS IN PH

With the sinking of MV Bulk Jupiter in January, United Filipino Seafarers once again called the attention of the concerned national institutions and agencies to ensure the safety measures are actually being em-ployed before, during and after the navigation.

MARCH

march 27

SEAFARERS AND THEIR HOUSEHOLDS INTEGRATED PROGRAMS

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) and Integrated Seafarers of the Philip-pines (ISP) conducted a monthly seminar aimed at educating Filipi-no seafarers and their relatives on financial literacy, business and live-lihood. The seminar is under the bigger pro-ject, Seafarers & their Households Integrated Programs (SHIP).

This monthly seminar is spe-cially designed to benefit Filipino seafarers and their households. None of them shall be pauper after they re-tire on the sea.

-Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) and Integrated Seafarers of the Philip-pines (ISP) held a financial literacy seminar aimed at teaching Filipino seafarers practical ways on how they could grow their money.More than 200 seafarers attend-ed the event and heard important lectures straight from the financial guru of the Philippines Mr. Francis-co Colayco.

This is just the beginning of the dream of Capt. Morales that no seafarer will become a pauper after sailing for a decade. Like the UFS, the Integrated Seafar-ers of the Philippines will live on and will leave a legacy that will remain in the hearts of the Filipi-no seafarers.

-Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) in collaboration with Luneta Seafarers Welfare Foundation (LuSWelF) and Ex-link Events initiated the kick-off event of the International Seafarers Day 2015.The event is a global celebration which particularly aims to honor and recognize the incalculable con-tributions of seafarers in the growth of every country’s economy such that of the Philippines.

july 22-25

OPENING CEREMONY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SEAFARERS DAY 2015

june 26

FINANCE LITERARY SEMINAR

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez was invited by radio station, DZRH in which he was interviewed by program hosts Dr. Joe Taruc and Milky Regonan.Engr. Ramirez dared the experts of Maritime Industry Authority (MARI-NA) to face him in an oral debate to discuss his arguments with regard to MARINA’s crooked platforms and unjustifiable pronouncements.

MARINA has to attend to the concerns of the Filipino sea-farers. They need to sharpen their senses to be able to dis-cern which is right and which is wrong.

-Engr. Nelson Ramirez

july 17

NPR’S INTERVIEW WITH DZRH

TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES

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http://unitedfilipinoseafarers.com.ph/

WEBSITETIMELINEA Look Back on UFS’ Successful Year

JULES ANDREW GARCIA

.............................................................................

2015

october 15

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) is all set to conquer the Congress as it filed its certificate of candidacy for partylist in the Commission on Elec-tions (COMELEC), October 15.Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, UFS presi-dent, said the institution’s move of entering the legislature is its way of ameliorating the service it offers to the entire local maritime sector. He furthered that it is high time for the local maritime to finally have a clear and audible voice in the Con-gress, stressing the need for laws that will give seafarers an absolute protection and security.

september 21

UFS’ FILING OF COC FORPARTYLIST

5TH PHILIPPINE SEAFARERS’ CONGRESS

Senator Sonny Angara praised the local maritime sector for continu-ously topping the global market of seafarers for constantly sending the largest number of mariners in the world.Angara, along with UFS President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez and other respected personalities, graced the kick-off of the 5th Philippine Seafar-ers’ Congress at Palacio De Manila, September 21.

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez went to Lu-neta Seafarers’ Welfare Foundation (LuSWelF) to announce the massive hiring of Alpha Navigation after re-solving a few hitches in the Philip-pine Overseas Employment Admin-istration (POEA).

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FULL BLAST HIRING

august 18

november 11

SECOND UFS-LED RALLY VERSUS MARINA

Maritime Industry Authority’s (MA-RINA) continued insensitivity, pas-sivity and negligence in attending to Filipino mariners’ concerns pro-voked the United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) to stage another protest rally in front of the former’s office in Taft, Manila.Amid UFS President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez and hundreds of expert engineers, allies, seafarers and their relatives’ demonstration, MARINA employed another shameless act to deliberately thwart the protest rally -- usage of Coast Guard trainees as human barricades.

UFS is more than prepared and ready to transcend the service it provides to Filipino seafarers by occupying a seat in the Congress.

- Engr. Nelson. P. Ramirez

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez together with Senatorial candidate Susan “Toot” Ople whose advoca-cy is for the welfare of the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) attended the Senate hearing on the recent “Tanim Bala” issue.

“TANIM BALA” SENATE HEARING november 12

NOVEMBERSEPTEMBERAUGUST

National Concilliation and Media-tion Board (NCMB) held a two-day continuing education seminar for accredited voluntary arbitrators in the Department of Labor and Em-ployment last October 22-23, 2015 .The said event is NCMB’s annual regular retooling seminar which aims to discuss important mari-time-related matters including tac-tics and trends which widen attend-ees’ scope of knowledge.Retired justices were invitied to shed light on various legal issues plaguing the sector; concerns on the association of accredited vol-untary arbitrators’ competence and efficacy were also settled.

october 22-23

On October 14, 2015, a United Fili-pino Seafarers-led protest rally was held in front of Maritime Industry Authority to deride the latter’s un-justifiable platforms for the local maritime sector. UFS members along with other con-cerned mariners and allies marched along Kalaw Avenue, heading to-wards MARINA’s office where the oath-taking of newly-registered and promoted officers was simultane-ously conducted. Apparently that was the first time that MARINA did hold such event in their parking lot after so many years-- an action which gave rise to a hypothesis that MARINA delib-erately did it as a form of indirect counter to UFS’ demonstration.

UFS joined one coalition in filing the Petition for Certiorari and Prohibi-tion with Prayer for the Issuance of a Temporary Restraning Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction against Constitutionality and legal-ity of certain provitions of Republic Act 10651 or General Appropriations Act for 2015 (2015 GAA) Sections 70 and 73 of the General Provisions, and the Special Provisions of the following Special Purpose Funds.

NCMB’S REGULAR RETOOLING SEMINAR

UFS-LED PROTEST RALLY VERSUS MARINA

FILING OF WRIT OF PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

september 14

august

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President was honored by the Pan-ama Embassy spearheaded by the Ambassador and Consul-General of the Republic of Panama to the Philippines Rolando Guevarra Alva-rado for his efforts in rectifying the malpractices in the local maritime industry.They were joined by the two highest officials from the Panama Maritime Authority or Autoridad Maritima de Panama (AMP). AMP Administrator Jorge Barakat and Director of Sea-farers Luiz Aizpurua who went to the country for an official visit.The two said they wanted to preso-nally meet the man behind the UFS and Tinig ng Marino.

UFS PREXY RECEIVES HONOR FROM PANAMA

The advisories imposed by the Maritime Industry Author-ity (MARINA) is unfair and un-jusitifiable. Revoke them!

- Protester during the first protest rally

If you read their (UFS) news-paper [Tinig ng Marino], they are very frank in speaking out when they see something wrong for the seafarers. They print everything.

-Ambassador Guevara Alvarado.

OCTOBER

october 14

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 34

FEATURED STORYCAPT. JOSE MACLANG MANGABAT

22 September 1943 – 08 November 2015

Captain Jose M. Mangabat or “Joe” as known to the industry and friends, was the co-founder of Blue Manila Inc. in November 17, 1983. He was the President of the man-ning agency until 31.12.2013. Through hard work and dedication, Blue Manila Inc. was awarded by the POEA in 1998, 2002, 2009 as one of the Top Perform-ers in the manning industry. The agency also received citations for commendable performance and for promoting the competence of Fil-ipino in general and providing em-ployment to Filipino seafarers. Capt. Mangabat was an ac-tive member of the Board of Direc-tors of FAME for seven years (1998 to

2001) (2004 to 2006) and a “father” to about 700 seafarers. If one would think that be-ing President was enough, Capt Mangabat still found time to be a contractor, a scuba diver, a tennis player, a golfer. But what he enjoyed most was being a simple farmer at heart. He loved his farm very much and personally attended to it, driv-ing to Tarlac almost every weekend. The manning industry has lost a great person and friend and the only place where one can find him is in the people’s hearts, the people who really knew and loved him.

T I M E L I N E

FEBRUARY 2014REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10635

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MARITIME IN-DUSTRY AUTHORITY (MARINA) AS THE SIN-GLE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION RESPON-SIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE 1978 INTERNATION-AL CONVENTION ON STANDARDS OF TRAIN-ING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING FOR SEAFARERS, AS AMENDED, AND INTER-NATIONAL AGREEMENTS OR COVENANTS RELATED THERETO was passed. President Benigno Aquino issued Executive Order No. 75 designating the DOTC, through the MA-RINA, as the single maritime administrative agency to enforce and implement the STCW

convention.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014MARINA released STCW-Circular No. 2014-02 adding the Daily Journal of Bridge Watch-keeping Duties(DJBWD) and Daily Journal of Engine Watchkeeping Duties(DJBWD) as the additional requirements on the Licensure Examination of the aspiring marine officers for both deck and engine department. It is seen as an additional burden for the Filipino

Seafarers

NOVERMBER 2014The issuance of Certificate of Competency and the licensure examination was trans-ferred from PRC to MARINA which caused chaos. Confusions about the processing are among seafarers. Also, the passing average became 90% which is absurd. Not even the bar examination uses the said grading sys-tem. There will also be retaking of Licensure Examination for those who will not use their License for the past five years which sparked

extreme anger among seafarers.

JULY 10 2015MARINA released STCW Advisory No. 2015-20 stating on one of its rules that Seafarers who are holders of Certificate of Training Completion/Completion on Basic Safety Training(BST) but without Certificate of Pro-

ficiency on BST shall take the full course.

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 36

ELPIDIO C. NOLASCO, MD, FPCS, PACS

General & Cancer Surgeon, Laparoscopic SurgeonPresident & Medical Director, Nolasco International Medical & Diagnostic Clinic

HEALTH TIPS

The liver is the largest internal organ of the body and it has a hundred different functions. One of the liver’s most important functions is to break down food and convert it into energy when the body needs it. The liver also helps the body to get rid of waste products and plays an important role in fighting infections. Regularly drinking, on four days or more per week, can increase the risk of developing liver disease and cause irreversible damage to this very important part of the

body. In 2003, regular drinking was pegged at 11.1% in the Philippines with men at 13% and women at 5.9%. Teenage drinking, ages 15-19 years old, showed 47% for boys and 12% for girls. It assumed , at the moment, these numbers have increased significantly. Globally, alcoholic liver disease accounts for over a third of liver disease deaths, and figures show victims of liver disease are getting younger: more than 1 in 10 of deaths of people in their 40’s are from liver disease, most of

them is due to alcohol. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver because of “oxidative stress”. When the liver tries to break down alcohol, the resulting chemical reaction can damage its cells. This damage can lead to inflammation and scarring as the liver tries to repair itself. Evidence about how much and how often one needs to drink to increase the chances of developing liver disease is not definite. But all the research shows that the more alcohol one drinks, the more likely one develops liver disease. The threshold for developing alcoholic liver disease in men is an intake of 40-80 grams/day of alcohol for 10 years while women ate at increased risk of developing similar degrees of liver injury by consuming 20-40 grams/day. This is equivalent to 3-6 drinks of hard liquor for men, and half of those for women. Evidence also suggests that other factors may increase the risk of developing liver disease such as:1. Gender- women develop higher levels of alcohol in the blood than men even if they have drunk the same amount of alcohol2.Obesity- excess weight can exacerbate many of the mechanisms of liver damage caused by excessive drinking3. Genetics- certain genetic factors, including those affecting the liver’s handling of fat, influence the risk of heavy drinker developing liver disease. Alcoholic liver disease is categorized into three forms: fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. The liver turns glucose into fat which sends the body to store for use when the body needs it. Excess alcohol affects the way the liver handles fat so the liver cells get stuffed full of it. This is fatty liver, the first stage of alcoholic liver disease. This damage, as mentioned, can lead to inflammation (hepatitis)

and scarring ( cirrhosis ) as the individuals continue to drink. People can spend years damaging their liver and not feel any of the effects alcohol is doing to them. This is because the liver has enormous reserves so that one can damage a great part of it and the liver can still do all of its jobs. Early symptoms of alcoholic disease may include:1 fatigue2 nausea3 vomiting 4 abnormanl discomfort or pain Later stage symptoms may include:1 jaundice ( yellow skin)2 vomiting blood3 fatigue and weakness4 loss of appetite5 itching6 easy bruising7 swelling of the ankles, legs or abdomen8 bleeding in the gut9 liver cancer When alcoholic liver disease develops, cutting out alcohol is essential to prevent death from the liver failure which is when the livers stops working completely. In the most serious cases of cirrhosis, one will only be considered for a liver transplant if one does not drink alcohol for at least three to six months. Taking a regular break from the alcohol will help the liver stay healthy. Reducing the amount one drinks, 10 grams/day for women and 20 grams/day for men, can help reverse damage,

or early stage of liver disease. Once cirrhosis develops, prognosis partly depends on whether or not the person continues drinking. Those who continue drink have a much higher risk of dying. Even for those with symptoms, stopping drinking has a beneficial

effect. It is never “too late” to stop drinking, even with cirrhosis.

People can spend years damag-ing their liver and not feel any of the effects alcohol is doing to them. This is because the liver has enormous reserves so that one can damage a great part of it and the liver can still do all of its jobs.

Alcohol and the Liver

on the welfare of the seafarer survivors and families: “We lend our ears and ex-tend our hands to piracy survivors and to their families.” A two-part panel discussion was executed and moderated accord-ingly to intensify the essence of the presentations of the key speakers. The second part of the event was a net-working dinner for all the presenters, delegates and guests.

United in their Mission Unified with ISWAN’s pur-pose to always put first and promote seafarer welfare worldwide, MPHRP has been existing as a pan-industry alliance of ship owners, managers, manning agents, insurers and wel-fare associations – working together “to assist seafarers and their families with the humanitarian aspects of a traumatic incident caused by a piracy attack, armed robbery or being taken hostage.”

ISWAN-MPHRP is located in Croydon, United Kingdom while its re-gional offices are in India for East Asia region, in Ukraine for Commonwealth of Independent States and Baltic (CISB) areas, and in the Philippines for South-east Asia region. Our new office is now located in 4th Floor Gazzaneo Bldg. B6 L11B Nigeria St. Better Living Subdivi-sion, Don Bosco, Paranaque City, Met-ro Manila, Philippines. For more infor-mation on our programs and services, please call 02-736 8760 and look for Mr. Renato Pablo.

ISWAN-MPHRP PH in LMS Mari-time Security Summit

ippines-Institute of Maritime Affairs and the Law of the Sea, and Key Cap-ital-Hong Kong presented to the del-egates. Former National Security Ad-viser and Member of the House of the Representatives Mr. Roilo Golez also graced this affair with his presentation on South China Sea. Regional Director Rancho Vil-lavicencio introduced ISWAN-MPHRP in the Philippines and Southeast Asia and emphasized its primary goal of be-coming the leader in giving assistance and in building alliances, alongside its mission in implementing a model in assisting seafarers and families affect-ed by maritime piracy. More on his talk were about the region’s scope of work, care and assistance, the Programme’s success factors, effective strategies, structure and the people working be-hind it, the region’s shared beliefs, ac-complishments since its establishment in 2012 and the combined ISWAN and MPHRP’s strong global partners - all in his topical presentation on “The Hu-man Cost of Maritime Piracy.” Being the Founder and Ex-ecutive Director of SEACOMS, Mr. Vil-lavicencio also mentioned SEACOMS Maritime Development International, Inc., a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization for seafarers, as MPHRP’s partner in providing service and imme-diate assistance. Propelled by passion to fulfill his vision for both organiza-tions, he also stressed how they have been successful in their mission aligned

page 20

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 39

It’s Brrrr months once again. This article has been taken from a featured reprinted item on Ancient and Modern Mariners at The Economist last December but with a anonymous author. It is quite fitting, timely and the author wishes to share the contents, for all our seafarers who would be spending their Christmas in the high seas. Happy reading and SEASON’s GREETINGS TO ALL!

It is not about the famous movie “Romancing the Stones” but “The Romance of the High Seas in an Age of Quantification”.

Imagine the beginning of a sea voyage, and you probably picture something like the frenetic preparations that Herman Melville describes in “Moby Dick” : “There was great activity aboard the Pequod. Not only were the old sails being mended, but new sails were coming aboard, and bolts of canvas and coils of rigging… the men… were working till long after nightfall.” Boarding a ship in that state was a perilous obstacle course.

Boarding a modern container ship, by contrast, is a simple and subdued process. You walk up a steep, narrow ladder, hand your passport to the office on duty and follow him to the ship’s office - which, on Maersk’s giant, Danish-flagged vessels, is a clean and screen-stuffed as any on land. At most you pass one or two crewmen: modern ships are huge but their crews small. A short walk down a broad, fluorescent-lit hall and a brief ride in a lift – festooned, as on shore, with safety regulations – brings you to the bridge, a long, glassed-in eyrie 10 stories above the deck.

The bridge could easily accommodate 50 people, but at its busiest rarely holds more than 10. The high, surrounding windows and purposeful

hush instill a vaguely ecclesiastical feel. At its center is a large, sleek, wood-veneered steering wheel, used mainly when arriving and departing from ports. Otherwise the steering is automatic; if a human needs to intervene, he does so using a joystick the size of child’s finger . Like the rest of the ship, the bridge smells a new-laid rubber and disinfectant – not an unpleasant smell, but a sterile one, with none of the

undertones (tobacco, slat spray, fish, sweat) associated with sea journeys. Even in the ship’s bowels, the strongest odor is not fuel oil used to power the engine but the coffee used to power the engineers.

Which artefact is the best emblem of modern life? The

personal computer, perhaps, or the mobile phone or the car. Or it may be the container ship which transports all of those things and much besides: “90 Percent of Everything” as the title of Rose George’s first-rate book on the shipping industry puts it. These ships are the workhorses of globalization; they are also exemplars of another contemporary megatrend, automation. Their sterility would make them almost unrecognizable to Melville, the novelist-whaler or to Joseph Conrad who spent nearly two decades as a merchant marine.

Yet as a crossing of the South China Sea on the Marie Maersk shows, not everything has changed. A voyage on these gigantic craft is a dizzying, paradoxical jumble of modernity and timeliness, gizmos and primitive wonderment.

FLOATING BAZAARS

Like the other giants in its class, The Marie Maersk was built for the profitable Asia-Europe route – from Busan to Kwangyang in Korea then along the eastern and southern Chinese coasts, down to Malaysia

across the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal to Tangier and Southern Spain then up to Scandinavia by way of the Netherlands and Germany.

Then back again: the round trip takes around six months. The kaleidoscopic cargo might include iPads, smartphones, cars, bulldozers, baseball caps and T-shirts from China then on the return journey, fruits, chocolates, wine, watches and whisky.

The longest leg is from Malaysia to Port Said in Egypt. That takes 10 increasingly stifling days – by the end, say the sailors, the containers that are refrigerated sweat almost as much as the crew. A power failure on this particular run would affect diners at sushi restaurant across Europe: among many other things, the containers hold 33,350 kilograms of frozen fish roe loaded in Ningbo, China plus roughly the same amount

of surimi and blast-frozen yellow fin tuna, both loaded in Kwangyang, Korea, all bound for Gdansk or Algeciras. The scariest container is unrefrigerated. It contains 50 tons of fireworks, destined for Europe’s New Year’s celebrations. The officers joke, mordantly and often, about what would happen if it caught fire.

The officers’ life has changed utterly. Legal documents from the 19th century refer to merchant-marine captains as “ Masters under God” for the absolute authority they wielded. These days, captains on European-flagged ships are bound by labor and safety regulations just like any other manager. That, in fact, is what they have become: neither snarling tyrants keelhauling miscreants, nor heroic helmsmen, but managers. Globalization has made container ships the indispensable conveyances

The Romance Of the High Seas in an Age of QuantificationENGR. RAINERO B. MORGIA, MSc Env

“At sea, even one of the world’s biggest ships is a speck in a vast, peaceful emptiness”

CONTINUE ON PAGE 49

These ships are the work-horses of globalization ; they are also exemplars of another contemporary megatrend, automation. Their sterility would make them almost unrecogniz-able to Melville, the nov-elist-whaler or to Joseph Conrad who spent nearly two decades as a merchant marine.

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 40

Addt’l Theft Charges Filed Against Gambe, Cohorts as More Evidence SurfaceJOANA CHRYSTAL VENTURA

The United Filipino Seafarers (UFS), the publishing organization of the maritime newspaper Tinig ng Marino (Tinig), filed another charge of qualified theft against former Managing Editor Robert Rey Gambe. Prior to this new case, Gambe is already facing 11 counts of qualified theft that were previously filed by UFS in 2012. After two years of hiding, he was eventually arrested on September 26, 2014 in Barangay Lamesa, Calamba City on the basis of a criminal warrant issued by Judge Felicitas O. Laron-Cacanindin of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 17. He is currently out on bail while awaiting judgment. In the UFS complaint-affidavit, it is stated that apart from having embezzled payments from no less than six advertisers for Tinig, Gambe had also stolen receivables paid by yet another advertiser, INC Navigation Inc., with the total amount of Php 760,000. As was his other theft cases, he instructed INC Navigation to deposit its payments to an unauthorized and undisclosed account which was solely under his control and management, instead of the legitimate bank account of the UFS where payments for Tinig are being kept. For years, Gambe had been asking advertisers to deposit their payments to this illicit bank account, and the UFS estimates that more than a million pesos have been stolen in this manner. Meanwhile, Gambe told Tinig editors and staff that INC Navigation Inc., like the six other manning agencies who were actually paying clients of Tinig were being given “free write-ups”. Gambe was able to sustain this deception for several years, Ramirez cites, because he and the UFS Board trusted Gambe so much that he (Gambe) was fully authorized to solicit advertisements and receive payments without being subjected to supervisory scrutiny. In fact, Ramirez was grooming Gambe to be the next president of the UFS, and the future executive editor for TNM. Aside from naming Gambe in the complaint-affidavit filed on November 9, 2015 at the Office of the City Prosecutor for Manila, UFS President Nelson P. Ramirez also included Maricar Songcayauon and Cherry Ann Oguez-Cabe as co-respondents. Songcayauon served as office secretary under Gambe,

while Oguez-Cabe was responsible for marketing and accounting. Engr. Ramirez explains that while the embezzled funds were being diverted to undisclosed bank accounts under Gambe’s name, it was impossible for Songcayauon and Oguez-Cabe not to have been aware that duplicitous t r a n s a c t i o n s were being c o m m i t t e d , as they were i n t i m a t e l y involved with the operations of Tinig. More pertinently, the two were in charge of issuing Statement of Accounts (SOAs) and Official Receipts (ORs), including those fraudulently issued for multiple anomalous transactions. Ramirez has, on more than one occasion, expressed his extreme disappointed

by the betrayal of trust committed by people he has known for a long time. Gambe has already admitted that he did indeed open

an illicit BPI Family Bank a c c o u n t under the c o r p o r a t e n a m e Tinig ng Marino, and deliberately did not disclose its existence. He also owns up to secretly d i v e r t i n g

advertisers’ fees to said account but interestingly, he justifies his actions by saying that he only did it so that the newspaper could have “a buffer fund”. According to Ramirez, Gambe’s explanation is absurd because he (Gambe) has never expressed any worries or issues

concerning Tinig’s cash flow. In fact, there were even many opportunities for Gambe to earn extra income on top of his editor’s salary. Ramirez muses: “Gambe never had any complaints; in fact, he would even ask me to fire an employee or two during the seven years that he held his position, just so that Gambe could take over that employee’s job and salary. He (Gambe) would explain that he can simply assume such-and-such’s function so he can be paid more. And I indulged him, because I was grooming him to be my replacement.” It is worth noting that, despite having hundreds of thousands of pesos in this so-called buffer fund, Gambe couldn’t name any legitimate operations-related expense where this money had been used, except for the purchase of a single electric fan, and payment for the repair of an office printer. It should also be mentioned that

“Whenever I ask Cherry [Oguez-Cabe] ] about our financial status or for a re-port on accounting, Rey [Gambe] or Maricar [Songcayauon ] would step in and divert the topic. It’s impossible for them not to know Gambe’s illegal activities because Jesalyn [Ramirez] and [Administrative Staff] Reynaldo [Sto. Domingo] discovered it after just a few weeks in office. Maricar and Cherry were my employees for sever-al years!”

- Engr. Ramirez

CONTINUE ON PAGE 61

THE ANATOMY OF FRAUD

UFS TESTIFIES HOW GAMBE WAS ABLE TO STEAL MORE THAN ONE MILLION PESOS FROM TINIG NG MARINO

ROBERT REY GAMBEMARICAR SONGCAYAUONCHERRY ANN OGUEZ-CABE

Appointed by Ramirez as Managing Editor for Tinig

In charge of office operations

Authorized to solicit advertis-ers and collect payments

Being groomed as future Tinig Executive Editor and UFS

President

Gambe secretly opens unau-thorized bank account under corporate name Tinig ng Ma-rino and does not declare ex-istence of said account to UFS

Board and/or staff

Tinig ng Marino Secretary

Colludes with Gambe in issuing falsified Statement of Accounts (SOA), billing adver-tisers for features published

These SOAs bear Tinig logo and heading, along with Ramirez’ forged signature

Oguez- Cabe bills advertisers for receivables using falsified SOAs, directing them to de-posit payment to Gambe’s secret accounts instead of to

UFS’ official one.

Marketing and Accounting staff

Helps Gambe conceal received payments from UFS

staff and Board

Issues advertisers fake official receipts, omitting their

payments from Tinig financial statements

Gambe deposits advertisers’ fees in the unauthorized bank account.

Gambe tells UFS staff and Board that the paid features published in Tinig were “free write-ups” when in fact, he was collecting advertisers’ fees worth hundreds of

thousands from these manning agencies.

GAMBE, OGUEZ-CABE, AND SONGCAUYAUON COMMIT THEIR CRIMINAL ACTS FOR YEARS, UNTIL TINIG NG MARINO SECRETARY JESALYN WILLOW RAMIREZ AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF REY STO. DOMINGO IN-TERCEPT AN ADVERTISER’S CHEQUE MARKED AS PAYABLE TO GAMBE’S UNAUTHORIZED ACCOUNT. THIS PROMPTS AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION INTO TINIG’S LEDGERS AND RECORDS. UFS DISCOVERS THAT MILLIONS OF PESOS IN RECEIVABLES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DIVERTED BY GAMBE. UNTIL MORE EV-IDENCE OF ANOMALOUS TRANSACTIONS CONTINUE TO SURFACE THE MORE THEY LOOK.

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TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 42

FPI: Conduct Senate Probe on Addt’l Shipping Charges; DTI: No NeedJOANA CHRYSTAL VENTURA

The Federation of Philip-pine Industries (FPI), the country’s largest organization of manufactur-ers, asks the Senate to conduct an investigation over rising fees being imposed by various shipping lines. According to the FPI, these addi-tional fees have pushed the ship-ping cost per 20-foot container van to P27, 159 which more than 200- to 600% more than the going rate for other neighboring economies like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. In a letter sent by the FPI to the Senate Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Committee Chairman Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, FPI Chairman Jesus L. Ar-ranza pointed out that “While some shipping lines have discontinued the collection of Port Congestion Surcharge (PCS), there are other types of charges that have been im-posed by various shipping lines.” The federation cites that . With these six additional fees, the average shipping cost per 2-foot container van now amounts to P27, 159, according to the FPI’s compu-tations. “In view of its sheer gravity, which is seriously affecting the na-tional economy, as well as the com-petitiveness of local manufacturers and directly impacting consumers, the federation wishes to seek your intervention in finally investigat-ing this matter,” Arranza continues. From data culled by FPI from the

MCC Transport and Overseas Ori-ent Container Line, the Philippines’ shipping charges are fairly exorbitant compared to Indonesia’s (P465 to 4,737.89); Malaysia’s Kuantan Port (P5,360.60 to P5,364.10); Malaysia’s other ports (P5,734.50 to P5,907.60); Thailand’s (P7,804.50 to P9,288); Bangladesh’s (P3,952.50); and Ja-pan’s (P12,692 to P12,540). DTI clears al-legation on additional shipping charges The Depart-ment of Trade’s (DTI) Consumer Protection Group (CPG) prompt-ly dismissed FPI’s petition for a Senate probe, saying that there is no longer any basis for the com-plaint as almost all shipping lines have long discontinued imposing the additional fees that the FPI have mentioned in its letter to the Senate, with the exception of the PCS and the ECRS. And since July 16, when the port congestion crisis in Manila have eased, even the PCS and the ECRS have been removed by the following shipping lines: APL, “K” Line, Hapag Lloyd, MCC Transport, MOL, NYK, Hanjin, Advance Contain-er Lines, and Pacific International Lines. To date, Trade Undersecretary Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba, head of the DTI-CPG, clarifies that 36 ship-ping lines – big ones, at that-- have

already discontinued surcharges. CPG data did also show that some shipping firms do still impose the PCS, the ECRS, or its equivalent. These firms are the SITC, Sinotrans, Evergreen, Gold Star Shipping, CMA-CGM, Wan Hai, Heung-A, OCL, China Shipping, and COSCO (for China im-ports only). Dimagiba, however, clari-

fies that neither the DTI, the Phil-ippine Ports Au-thority, nor the MARINA, have any rate-regulat-ing power over shipping lines. “Kung wala kam-ing mandato, kung wala kam-ing order, hindi kami puwedeng makialam kasi i-eexpose nam-

ing sarili namin sa criminal case.” (Without the mandate, or (legal) or-der, we cannot interfere or we open ourselves up to criminal liability.) He says that the FPI might be better served by seeking further dialogue with the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) on how ship-ping costs in the country could be lowered, instead of asking the Sen-ate to step in. Last April, the CPG did facilitate a dialogue between the shipping lines and affected business chambers regarding the continued imposition of additional shipping

charges, but AISL General Manager Maximino T. Cruz stated in that meet-ing that they were not in the position to order individual shippers to re-move such charges. Even without the addition-al shipping charges, the shipping costs in the Philippines is reputed to be among the highest in the world. The DTI-CPG has been overseeing public-private dialogues involving concerned government agencies, foreign chambers, local business groups and the AISL to address this concern. Dimagiba himself mentions that the FPI have been involved in numerous forums last year. Apparently, it is the very fu-tility of these efforts that has driven the FPI to seek other avenues, such as the Senate, in the hope of more competitive trading conditions for local manufacturers. Bound by the government’s lack of jurisdiction over the matter of shipping costs, Dimagiba simply suggests letting the market forces even the playing field: “It’s a free market. We already told the industry that they have choic-es, they are not bound to continue patronizing shipping lines that still impose unreasonable charges,” he points out. “Why bother with the 11 shipping lines that are still collect-ing PCS fees? Just discontinue using them and let them feel the market plunge. Manufacturers and traders are also consumers; they should ex-ercise the freedom of choice.”©

Some foreign shipping lines impose various random charges on traders, such as emergency cost recovery sur-charge (ECRS), container im-balance charge, equipment positioning services, contain-er cleaning fee, documenta-tion fee at destination, and terminal handling charge, in addition to port congestion surcharges.

SHIPPING RATES COMPARISON BY COUNTRY (in PHP)

PHILIPPINES

JAPAN

BANGLADESH

THAILAND

MALAYSIA (OTHER PORTS)

MALAYSIA (KUANTAN PORT)

INDONESIA

27,159

12,540

3,952.50

9,288

5,907.60

5,364.10

4,737.89

This bar graph compares the FPI’s upper range of estimated costs for ship-ping cost per 20-foot container van. The FPI stated that they based their computations from data posted from the websites of MCC Transport, and Overseas Orient Container Line (OOCL). Singapore-based MCC Transport handles all Intra–Asia containerized cargo for the Maersk Group in addi-tion to providing feeder services for a wide range of regional and global shipping lines, while Hongkong-based OOCL is one of the world’s largest integrated international container transportation, logistics and terminal companies.

Shipping Charges in the Philippines are reputed to be among the highest in the world. The FPI might be better served by seeking further dialogue with the As-

sociation of International Shipping Lines (AISL) on how shipping costs in the country could be lowered, instead of asking the Senate to step in.

DTI-CPG Chairman Dimagiba

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 44

INTRODUCTION The Philippines became the number 1 supplier of “qualified seafarers” to the world’s shipping. Despite of this reality, the Maritime Education and Training (MET) Re-gime in the Philippines is constantly challenged. Of late is the never end-ing EMSA issues that has continual-ly threatened to de-recognize STCW Certificates issued by the Philip-pines. The EMSA challenge as com-missioned by the European Union started in 2006. Nine (9) years later, today, it is still a challenge! The change of Philippine Maritime Administration for the STCW from multiple agencies to a single agency – the Maritime In-dustry Authority (MARINA) by virtue of the RA 10635 did NOT change in essence the MET Regime at all, at least as of this writing. The Philip-pines, for half a century have NOT changed, so why change at all? The attempt to change the MET is ill intent with the introduc-

tion by CHED of the Enhanced Sup-port Level Program (ESLP). It is time the Philippines shifts paradigm from QUALIFICATION to COMPETENCE BASED Maritime Education and Training! H o w e v e r, here is a glance at what to expect when the school year opens in 2015.

Enhanced Support Level Program (ESLP) – a modified BSMT/BSMarE program by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). As the name indicates, this program aims to produce qualified ratings for shipboard employment. The timing of the creation of this program creates speculations and apprehensions, while a few stake-holders were happy to embrace it as an alternative source of business

rather than nothing at all. Whatever wisdom there is in this program, this paper refuses to believe there is any. It is obvious that CHED offered an alternative for MHEIs who became subject of the controversial phase

out procedures in place as an after-math of the EMSA challenges. One may wonder, CHED’s mandate is to reg-ulate formal higher education while the ESLP is neither a baccalaureate nor a vocational program. CHED made an ex-cellently wise move

by passing on the baton of the ESLP to MARINA which the latter takes full responsibility alone after 31Decem-ber2015! Looking back on the lessons of history, the Basic Seaman’s Course (6 months) failed; the Seafarers’ Rat-ings Course (1 year) failed; now the

ESLP (2 years) is bound to fail! The CHED perceived it as a good solution for its education and mis-education system, particularly the Maritime Education and Training (MET) to create another monster, the ESLP! The products of the Philip-pines’ MET Regime are intended for seagoing ships. Out of more than 80,000 seagoing ships, 116 of which fly the Philippine flag! If the Philip-pines can make juridical imposition upon all seagoing ships, or at least convince the owners to absorb the products of its MET Regime, ESLP in particular, then maybe ESLP has a future. The main connection to con-vincing the owners of seagoing ships is the STCW Convention as amended which the Philippines is a Party. The Reg II/4; Section A-II/4; Reg III/4 and Section A-III/4 mandat-ed approved seagoing service of at least two months for the issuance of a corresponding Certificate of Profi-ciency as Watchkeepers in the Sup-

WHY ESLP IS BOUND TO FAILCAPT. REYNOLD ‘BURT’ M. SABAY

The attempt to change the MET is ill intent with the introduction by CHED of the Enhanced Support Level Program (ESLP). It is time the Philippines shifts paradigm from QUALIFICATION to COMPETENCE BASED Maritime Education and Training!

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION

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TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 45

port Level! The ESLP failed miserably to consider this basic simple mandato-ry requirement!

The Real World! The new entrants (gradu-ates of BS Programs) in the seafaring industry (deck and engine) begin their adventures as cadets or appren-tices. Upon satisfying the mandatory minimum requirements for seagoing service, they qualify for examination and assessment for the issuance of a corresponding Certificate of Compe-tency (COC) under the Operational Level of Responsibilities! NOT all of the adventurers pass the examination and assess-ment; NOT all of the adventurers eventually land into positions of ac-tual responsibility! More often than NOT, sup-port level positions are the alter-natives rather than hibernate! The support level positions need a STCW Certificate of Proficiency (COP) as watchkeepers. To be issued with this COP, the adventurer must have at least 2 months approved seagoing service! ONLY the graduates of the

BS Programs who have undergone cadetship or apprenticeship have approved seagoing services! Therefore, only the gradu-ates of the BS Programs who have undergone cadetship or apprentice-ship are qualified to be issued with an appropriate COP! But wait! The Philippine Ad-ministration required a 5-day course called Ratings Forming Part of a Nav-igational/Engineering Watch before a COP is issued even to the graduates of BS Programs! The adventurers therefore, after graduating from the BS Pro-gram, completion of cadetship/apprenticeship, passing or NOT the examination and assessment must take the 5-day course called the Rat-ings Forming Part of a Navigation-al/Engineering Watch to qualify as Watchkeepers in the support level! Then our BS Programs therefore became the only source of qualified and competent ratings for Deck and Engine! The Basic Seaman Course failed! The Seafarers Rating Course failed! The ESLP is bound to fail! This paper thinks, it already did!

NON-ACCREDITED MARITIME SCHOOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES

BOHOL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (BIT) INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

NEWLY-ERECTED MISAMIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY INC.

TINIG NG MARINO | OPINION

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AB - Age Limit 45 years old

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Page 1 of 2

NEW SHIP-HANDLING SIMULATOR FOR PHILIPPINES BASED CREST INC.

Kongsberg Maritime has completed delivery and installation of a new K-Sim ship-

handling simulator for the Cebu Reliable and Excellent Seafarers Training Center,

(CREST) Inc., in the Philippines. CREST joins the growing number of Filipino maritime

training organisations that choose Kongsberg Maritime simulators to meet the training

demands of the world’s dominant seafarer labour market.

The CREST delivery consists of a full mission, DNV GL class A K-Sim Polaris ship’s

bridge simulator with 270 degrees of visual view and KONGSBERG K-Bridge consoles,

in addition to three GMDSS/ECDIS Radar Trainers. A key requirement in the selection

of K-Sim Polaris was its in-depth built-in assessment functionality, which CREST will

use for practical assessment and examination of officers, as a mandatory requirement

to receive a license.

“K-Sim Polaris is a strong match for our officer training needs,” said Capt. Emerico B.

Gepilano, Vice President, CREST Inc. “The new simulator will support the development

of our course offering and help to enhance our assessment processes, while the

availability of Mastech Inc. as a local Kongsberg Maritime service provider, was also a

key advantage when choosing our new simulation supplier.”

“The Philippines is a key market for Kongsberg Maritime simulators so we are

delighted to add CREST as a customer in the region,” adds Tor H. Kristoffersen, Area

Sales Manager, Kongsberg Maritime. “Our K-Sim navigation and engine room

simulators are currently in use at 87 training institutes in the country, making the

Kongsberg Maritime country office a vital resource for Filipino maritime training

providers who demand the very best simulator technology and services.”

Anne Voith

Philmancon 2016 held, lays down new roadmap towards

maritime excellence from page 26

asked in what page in the IMO STCW Convention can he find the following: (1) Daily Journal, (2) Management Level Course, (3) OIC Level Course Part A and Part B. However, Mejia was stunned. He asked the one who questioned him to give him time to sit in front of his computer and review the convention as he is not very familiar with it. He barely received applause from the audience—a manifestation of dissatisfaction on the insufficiency of his answers and an implication of the audience’s strong discernment of the voluminous problems, issues and controversies plaguing the administration he is presently leading. The incident spread like a wildfire and drew overwhelming flak from the pillars of the industry. Many of the maritime industry stakeholders said they did not find it shocking at all as they knew from the very start how incompetent and inept Administrator Mejia has always been since the time he occupied the highest post in MARINA—where he failed a number of expectations set before him—up until his candidacy for Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization during the 2015 elections where he was actually the first one to be eliminated among all aspirants and was even beaten by a Nigerian representative. The maritime industry stakeholders also asked how was Administrator Mejia able to sign the series of MARINA’s advisories with regard to the foreboding matter when he was not even quite familiar of them, yet. The fourth session was opened late in the afternoon, with Seafarer’s Welfare and CSR Cluster Head Captain Gaudencio Morales accurately laid—through his well-woven speech – the many ways to empower the Filipino seafarers and the Manning Industry Corporate Social Responsibility. He was praised by the organizers of the convention as it was very conspicuous that he had the best presentation which was best carried out, too. He stressed Filipino seafarers need support from both the maritime sector and the government for the further development of their skills,

efficiency and productivity which later on could result to better global marketability. He is also pushing the encouraging stakeholders to take care of the seafarers, who have served as the backbone of the industry, and guide them until the time they retire and go back to the

mainstream society. Capt. Morales and Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez conceptualized the Integrated Filipino Seafarers of the Philippines which is aimed at educating Filipino Seafarers on financial literacy. The first Philmancon

was held in 2007 in One Esplanade, Pasay City where the attendees were able to come up with a successful roadmap that served as the industry’s guide for eight years— a key on the present maritime stability and excellence in the country.

TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 47

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURESNOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 48

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of the modern world. Automation has turned the men who sail them into administrators, overseers and technicians. On this voyage, the Marie Maersk’s captain is John Moeller Jensen, a slight, shaggy Dane who wears his uniform in port but at sea prefers T-shirts and daringly short shorts. He has a wry, watchful manner and is a practiced story teller, given to punctuating his yarns with cartoon gestures. Such as riffling of hands to mine a corrupt port official pocketing money. “I’m not God sitting in an office”, Mr Jensen says of his daily rounds. “But you also have to keep a distance. You can’t play cards and go ashore with people and then fire them the next day.” It is easy to imagine him sacking someone: like many successful managers he can quickly turn serious, even lightly menacing. His light-blue eyes switch off, his jaw clenches and he seems to grow taller. When Mr. Jensen started sailing in the mid-70’s, more than 30 people were needed to operate a container ship. The Marie Maersk crossed the South China Sea with 22, and could manage 13. Mr. Jakob Skau, the chief officer, says that modern container ships can mostly sail themselves. People are there mainly to react to the behavior of other people. Ship engines like car engines, now self-diagnose: when something goes wrong, they display the equivalent of a car’s engine light. That means fewer engineers. Paint has become more weather-resistant, which means AB’s spend less time painting which means fewer AB’s. Email has done away with radio officers. At night the only light on the bridge comes from the glow

of screens showing the ship’s pre-plotted course, engine performance, ballast-tanks levels and speed, while radar displays depict nearby vessels and their courses as blobs and contrails of lurid green. Port calls that used to take a week now last eight hours. Cargo used to come in barrels, boxes, cartons, bundles and drums, all of which had to be loaded and unloaded by hand. At Tanjung Pelepas some containers await lorries to carry them up the Malay Peninsula, others the ships that will convey them to smaller ports: Sihanoukville, Brisbane, Aucland, Tanjung Priok. This efficiency has put paid to extended shore leave. “Sail around the world and see nothing”, jokes David Staven, the ship’s third officer. And if automation has made ships easier to sail, it has also made sailors easier to watch. Maersk’s are constantly monitored from a control center in Mumbai, where a giant screen displays the position and of course every Maersk Line vessel in the world. The captain of a ship that deviates from its planned course or travels too quickly can expect a prompt query. On this leg, for instance, Mr. Jensen decides to sail east rather than west of the Paracel Islands, lengthening the journey but

taking advantage of the current, which in October runs southward along the Vietnamese coast. “I send a long email explaining our decision,” says Aditya Mohan, the ship’s swaggering, Marlboro-smoking second officer,“ and when I don’t hear anything back, it’s because they know I’m right. “

STORMS AND SILENCE

Still, sailing has always been tribal, and bean-counters on shore forever regarded as alien. The crew resembles those of Melville’s day in other ways, too. Then the American whaling industry was centered in Massachusetts, and many ships were owned by Quakers from Nantucket, but crews were wildly cosmopolitan. The Marie Maersk’s crew are Filipino, Danish, Ukrainian and Indian. Their meals reflect this diversity: Filipino greens, cooked in sweetened soy sauce, incomprehensible Danish cold cuts. A mid 19th century crewman described his quarters thus: “black and slimy with filth, very small and hot as oven. It was filled with a compound of foul air, smoke, sea-chests, soap kegs, greasy pans, tainted meat. ‘except for a couple of AB’s, the crewmen on the Marie Maersk have their own

rooms, which would pass muster at an American motel. The biggest complaint is the unreliable internet connection. “People come down,” says Mr. Jensen, “have dinner for five to ten minutes, then go back to their laptops.” Mostly the sailors are motivated not by adventure or escape but by the salaries. Ronald Rivera, the engineer, says his is double what he could make in the Philippines.Yet along with the mass-produced goods, container ships provide commodities that have grown increasingly rare. Then there is the scale. Ishmael, who narrates “Moby Dick”, asks, “Why is almost every robust healthy boy with a robust healthy soul in him, at some time or the other, crazy to go to the sea? Why upon your first voyage... did you yourself feel such a mystical vibration, when first told that you and your ship were now out of sight of land?” That sense of smallness and transience remains thrilling. In port the Marie Maersk seems huge, and on a map the distance between Southern China and Malaysia looks tiny. At sea, those proportions are reversed. Even one of the world’s biggest ships is a speck in a vast, peaceful emptiness. Beneath the sky is just a sea, and above the sea just a sky. Finally, the silence. Conrad wrote that “the true peace of God begins at any spot a thousand miles from the nearest land.” The Marie Maersk never gets that far on the South China Sea. But late one evening, after the Captain has lingered at dinner telling old stories about shark-fishing off Mauritius, minatory pods of killer whales at Vancouver island, natural-gas rigs belch commas of fire into the cloudless night. The ship sails forward, through a silent crescent of Vietnamese, and Cambodian fishing boats, beneath an impossibly broad and luminous canopy of stars.

The romance of the high seas in the age of quantification

from page 39

TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 49

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

Avoid Financial or Investment Scam this Christmas

Almost every year during this yuletide season, at least we come out with articles in the personal financial planning for seafarers and or dependents ─ wife, family and children. In fact, we received a lot of requests or uproar on these various social and financial interventions . Some of these feedbacks or comments are:1. “I am a retired shipmaster. I read your articles with lots of interest. You are really a writer for young seafarers, but alas, in our time we never had any such guidance. Shipmasters of my era earned a lot of money but wasted the money by just keeping it in the banks and never invested wisely.”2. “Was browsing the internet on my expensive laptop, when somewhere inside I have this feeling that now my money is soon going to get finished and it’s time to go back to the ship. You have motivated me.”3. “Left sailing at age 28 at a rank of 2/engineer and I’m now settled abroad. I don’t think seafarers earn a lot of money if a big part of the salary is going to be spent during vacation. The best investment would be to leave the contractual job and find a permanent one.”4. “Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences. It was indeed helpful.”5. “You have achieved what is the ultimate goal of financial freedom. It is my dream to make seafarers the most informed and empowered group in these matters.” Wow! Very inspiring indeed as some seafarers took special objection to the fact that buying expensive gadgets or equipment are a matter of personal choice, not necessity. Lately, news or reports have been that there are again QUICK-GET-RICH Schemes or popularly known as MLM’s (Multi -Level Marketing). They may include chit-funds, cash for gold, plantation schemes, joint ventures, invest now, pyramid or even franchising. Whatever it is, if it sounds too good to be true such as getting-rich-easily scheme or a promise of returning your money with incredible high rates, then, just say NO and you will never regret it.Here are some on the additional list that will eventually lose your hard earned money.1. SAVINGS ACCOUNT or TIME DEPOSITS While it is good to save, but if you are just earning three percent interest per annum, then with an inflation rate of almost 10 percent to 20 percent a year, plus withholding tax and VAT, you end

up contributing to the bank’s assets and financial growth. Have you ever experienced bank holiday or bank run and for those with deposits of more than 500K, only the amount of 500K will be refunded, if ever, subject to availability of funds or after a long wait of battle for a court order or insurance. Therefore for those blessed or fortunate enough to have more than Php1 million or billion in their bank accounts, it is advisable to deposit them in different accounts, even under one name only. There is NO LIMIT as to how many individual accounts you will open as savings or time deposits. But is this wise investment? Of course NOT. Better use it somewhere else or lose it later because of low interest rate.

2. FRANCHISINGFranchising is the license or the rights to use once tested and proven product or brand.It follows that if you own a famous and known product, it’s a marketing image and of course more customers and business. But it’s not cheap. You

have to pay for royalties and other in-house standards, supplies , etc. And there is always a catch, it is not an assurance for a good business or even profit as well. Just like other investments, there is good and bad franchising. Always study and weigh all factors first. Make sure you have enough capital to sustain for at least

a year or two of operations win or lose.

3. EXPENSIVE INSURANCE PANInsurance are good investments - short or long term. Just know and make sure you trust your broker well. Beware! Firstly, they cover you for such a small amount that even if

the insured is dead or incapacitated, the whole family would not be able to manage with the insurance money for one straight year. Secondly, they never tell you how much of the money will be invested and how much of it will be used for actual insurance. It is just rolled into one high premium. Thirdly, they have limited money growth. The rate at which the money grows is at times

the same as the bank interest rate.Finally, if you cancel insurance plans, you would lose most of the money paid by way of premium. Once again, trust an insurance broker.

4. AGGRESSIVE INVESTMENTThere is a saying, aim high and it will hit the ground badly when it falls down. The same thing happens when investing in stock market, mutual funds, money markets, future or forex. These are better investments but play conservative first before you become aggressive in your play. It is best to befriend a personal banker or financial adviser . Even when investing into real properties or rental properties, which are still the best investments so far, caution and over information is needed. By and large, the best way to save this holiday is go into a FORCED SAVINGS PLAN. An association managed saving and credit services is a new tool to financial freedom. Members or dependents of say UFS, can form into groups and have a self-managed financial system aiming to provide savings and loans among themselves without resorting to banks. Each group is composed of a limited membership of only 10 to 25 members, nothing more, nothing less. This is for better monitoring and control. Joining is voluntary. Members or dependents decide among themselves if they want to meet weekly or monthly to purchase shares. The share is equivalent to an amount the group decided at the start of the one-year cycle and may range from Php5,000 to 100,000. Each member can buy a maximum of five shares per meeting. By fostering the value of this type of saving or better known as IMPROVISED PALUWAGAN, each member can meet predictable expenses and reduce financial shocks. The money saved by the members can be invested in a loan fund that can be borrowed and repaid with a very low service charge. It can even provide members with limited financial insurance through a social funding. These are only an “eye opener” services. It can provide more. For those members or dependents interested to form into groupings or savings association, we are willing to conduct a seminar workshop for this purpose. Please contact [email protected] or thru this UFS office. Happy Savings, Happy Holidays!

ENGR. RAINERO B. MORGIA, MSc Env

Whatever it is, if it’s sounds too good to be easy rich scheme or return you money with false high rates then it must be too good not to believe. Just say NO and you will never regret it.

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 50TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES

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Want to get updated with the latest maritime-related news and developments? Visit the most popular website now! From the most controversial down to the ones that will surely delight your hearts, you can read them here:

www.unitedfilipinoseafarers.com.ph

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 53

FULL SPEED AHEAD

U F S United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) has recently embarked on a multitude of activities and events that either raise massive awareness among Filipino seafarers across the globe about significant issues that concern them or fight for their rights. Below is a quick rundown of the actions employed by UFS in line with its advocacy of improving ameliorating the local maritime sector.

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4 5 6

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1 United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) President Engr. Nel-son P. Ramirez graces the blessing of the new build-ing of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Coalition and help cut the ceremonial ribbon for its formal opening.

2 Engr. Ramirez delivers a speech during the first Na-tional Summit on labor Laws Compliance System.

3 UFS President attends the meeting initiated by the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Coalition.

4 Engr. Ramirez takes part in the meeting with the Mari-time Industry Tripartite Council on Maritime Voluntary Arbitration at the Department of Labor and Employ-ment (DOLE) Bureau of Labor Relations Conference

5 Engr. Ramirez delivers a short talk during Pre-Departure Orientation seminar upon the invitation of the BZ Alpha Navigation.

6 Engr. Nelson Ramirez talks before accredited voluntary arbitrators during the annual regular retooling seminar held in DOLE.

7 Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez shakes hands with Davao May-or Rodrigo Duterte.

9 President Ramirez was honored by the Panamnian Embassy and two highest officials of Panama Maritime Authority.

8 Ramirez together with Bienvenido Lorque raises the hands of senatorial bet Susan “Toots” Ople.

10 Engr. Ramirez files the second case against the former TINIG NG MARINO managing editor Rey Gambe including the two former secretaries Maricar Songcayauon and Cherry Ann Oguez. ( Qualified theft and Falsification of Private Docu-ments) in Manila Prosecutors office.

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 54

UNITED FILIPINO SEAFARERS

L O O K O U T

A journal that would damn the Filipino seafarers on board

Sometime in Sep-tember last year, MARINA released a circular adding the Daily Journal of Bridge Watchkeeping Duties (DJB-WD) and Daily Journal of Engine Watchkeeping Duties (DJBWD) as additional re-quirements on the Licensure Examination of the aspiring marine officers for both deck and engine departments. MARINA describes this journal as “Multiple Re-inforcement Learning” but let us scrutinize it further.

It is included in the daily journal of engine watchkeeping duties that an engine cadet must get the lat-itude, longitude, ship’s course and speed hourly. First of all, this is a deck cadet’s job. None in the engine ca-det’s duties and responsibilities onboard can you find such instruction. The engine cadet will have to call the bridge hourly just to

ask. Imagine a situation where the visibility is near zero, the traffic in the area is really heavy and there’s

the engine cadet calling hourly just to ask the following. This will certainly piss the bridge de-partment off. Worst case scenario, it could cause an ac-cident.

Same goes for the deck ca-dets, they are required to take the fuel oil, diesel oil and the lubricat-ing oil remaining on board for the

daily journal of bridge watchkeep-ing duties. This should be none of the deck cadets/ business. They should be into the operation of navigating the ship safely. This could also be considered a nui-sance for the engine department for the deck cadet must ask the engine department about it every hour. What if the latter is busy over-hauling or repairing some sort of machineries? Clearly this daily journal is just another burden for Filipino seafarers invented by the “STCW experts” here in the country.

DAILY JOURNAL DAILY JOURNAL

It is included in the daily journal of engine watchkeeping duties that an engine cadet must get the latitude, longitude, ship’s course and speed hourly.“

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NOTICE OF REWARDA Reward of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P50,000.00) will be given to anyone whose information will lead to the apprehension of any person who sells or distributes pirated LoadMan and/or BridgeMan Programs.

A Reward of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P50,000.00) will be given to anyone whose information will lead to the apprehension of any person who uses pirated LoadMan and/or BridgeMan Programs.

The information receive shall be treated with utmost confidentiality.

Please Contact:

Deckmaster MarineMobile: 0917 591 6901Landline: 524 6556E-mail: [email protected]

TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 55

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

Dare the difference! What is the big difference between Tinig ng Marino and

other maritime newspapers? It’s helluva lot of a difference. In terms of volume and

readership reach, Tinig ng Marino can stand and challenge all other maritime papers including the glossy ones as to which is widely circulated or attained an optimum pass-on readership.

As the biggest and the widest in circulation, it can take

any challenge by counting the number of copies that Tinig has printed for each issue. It also reaches the various corners of the world where Filipino seafarers set sail and confront the high seas.

Over the years, Tinig has been consistent on the issues it

has fought for, particularly on its advocacy to inform the public about the real things that is happening in the industry.

It has fearlessly published what other maritime papers

have failed to do. As it exposes anomalies, it also publishes the good things about this dynamic sector.

Most of Tinig articles are even exclusive because we are

there where the action is -- as one of the players in the industry. Being the official publication of the United Filipino Seafarers, Tinig ng Marino has been influential in the the many changes occurring in the country’s maritime industry. The evidence can be easily verified by browsing the UFS website.

It need not engage in cutthroat competition by bringing

advertisement rate down and employing sexy marketing managers. Tinig clients knew they get their money’s worth.

It would be unfair to compare Tinig ng Marino to other

maritime newspapers just as if one were comparing a choice between Rolls Royce and a Kia Pride.

1TINIG NG MARINOSEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2012 p32

Story on page 3

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2012 http:www.ufs.com.ph PHP 20.00 Vol. XVIII No.5

Philippines ratifies

The 2nd Philippine Seafarer Congress

Maritime Labour Convention

TURN TO PAGE 40

Danita PanerAlternative Princess

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2012 http:www.ufs.com.ph PHP 20.00 Vol. XVIII No.6

TNM Exclusive: Unholy Alliance 4

Seafarers hail congress a success

Story on page 3

TIN PATRIMONIO

►PAGE 22

A real sweetheart

ENTERTAINMENT ►PAGE 42

S e a s o n ’ s G r e e t i n g s

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GOLF TOURNAMENT

TINIG NG MARINO | SPORTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 58

ALVIN PATRIMONIOPHILIPPINE BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION LEGEND

The Philippine Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association Inc. and the Philippine Coast Guard Chapter held its 1st OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT at the Philippine Navy Golf Club, Bonifacio Naval Station, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City last 29th day of October 2015. The objective was to foster camaraderie among PMMA alumni in the Philippine Coast Guard service, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy Officers as well as PMMA alumni in the private shipping induzstry and other maritime commerce. There were about 40 golfers registered and actively participated in the said event. The TEE- OFF Ceremony was officially spearheaded by C/E GILBERT B. LLAMADO, President of the PMMA Alumni Association Inc., VADM RUEBEN S LISTA PCG (Ret), PMMA-PCG, DR. MICHAEL DUMANGENG Ph.D, representing C/E PROCES AQUINO, the president of Great Seas Maritime Training Center and CAPT ARTEMIO M ABU PCG, Commander, COAST GUARD READY FORCE who strongly represented the pillars of maritime institutions in the country. Other notable personalities were ADM RAMON C LIWAG PCG (Ret.), former Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, COMMO DANILO M UBALDO PCG, COMMO BON DAN D CHAN, CAPT OSCAR B ENDONA PCG, CAPT JOVEN L FABUL PCG, CAPT JUAN MANUEL DF RAMOS PCG, CAPT CHRISTOPHER VILLACORTE PCG ,CDR REYNALDO F PABICO PCG,CDR JUDE M BESINGA PCG, LCDR LAWRENCE A ROQUE PCG (as PCG GUEST Players) ; CDR RODEL A ABURQUEZ,CDR IVAN E ROLDAN PCG,LCDR VINCENT D BINGBONG

FIESTA PCG, LCDR JULIAN S BAYAWA JR PCG, LCDR JONATHAN P GALAM PCG, LT JAN J TERAZONA PCG (as PMMA-PCG players) and a number of PMMA SUN BAGGERS AND MARINSPORTS golf enthusiasts ( as PMMAAAI in the private maritime sector). The winners of the event were as follows: P/Supt R Aguto – nearest to the pin (4 yards); Capt. J Fabul – Longest Putt (12 yards); Ruben Regalado – Most Accurate Drive (2 Feet); Jeffrey Solon – Longest Drive (280 yards)

Capt. Dela Cueva - Class C ChampionLCDR Jonathan P. Galam PCG – Class B Champion; LT JAN J TERAZONA PCG – Class A Champion; C/E Gilbert Llamado – Low Net Champion; CDR Jude M. Besinga PCG – Over all 2nd Runner Up; P/Supt. Aguto – Over all First Runner Up; Capt. Joven L Fabul PCG – Over All Champion

The successful 1st OPEN PMMAAAI-PCG GOLF TOURNAMENT was organized by LCDR BINGBONG FIESTA, the current Chairman of the PMMAAAI – PCG Chapter and was officiated by LCDR JULIAN S BAYAWA JR PCG, The Special Service Officer of the Philippine Coast Guard. The event was culminated with the closing remarks by LCDR FIESTA who in behalf of the PMMA-PCG had extended profound gratitude and deep appreciation for the support of the participating players, sponsors and organizers that led to the success of the said event. As a saying goes, if there is 1st, then there will always be the 2nd. In that case, we wish to see you on the 2nd PMMA-PCG Golf Fellowship Tournament.Fore!!!.

Marin Sports Club and Sunbaggers Group Joint Mid-year Golf Tournament

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TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 59

UNITED FILIPINO SEAFARERS

ACHIEVEMENTS Father Carlos Oda, Sister Maruja Padre de Juan of the Apostle-ship of the Sea, and Engr. Nelson Ramirez of the United Filipi-no Seafarers conducted the first country-wide dissemination program in local maritime schools with the holding of a series of pre-employment orientation seminars.

As a tribute to annual efforts and contributions of the UFS dur-ing the country’s Labor Day celebration, Engr. Nelson Ramirez was made as the guest-of-honor and keynote speaker during Zamboanga City’s celebration of Labor Day last May 1, 2011.

UFS was the first organization in the maritime industry that pushed for electoral reforms. Among the major reforms that the union pushed was the passage of the absentee voting bill because the UFS believe that OFWs must be able to exercise their right to choose the leaders of the country even if they are abroad.

UFS joined the BZ Alpha Navigation in holding its grand open-ing day in the Luneta Seafarers’ Welfare Foundation (LUSWELF) where they gladly informed the attendees of a plentiful of jobs waiting for them by 2017.

Engr. Ramirez believes that the Panamanian Maritime Direc-torate must respect the Philippine license just like other Euro-pean countries that automatically converts the Philippine li-cense to the license of the flag state. For 12 long years, Ramirez fought the Panamanian Maritime Directorate until it finally did away with the required examination and enforce the automat-ic conversion of Philippine license to Panamanian license.

United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) conducted a job fair on Sep-tember 23-24, 2015 at the Harrison Plaza, Manila with an aim of helping Filipino seafarers and their families.

Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) pres-ident, was delighted upon learning that Manila Court has or-dered Sulpicio Lines to pay P241.7 million in damages to the families of the victims of M/V Princess of the Stars’ sinking trag-edy amid Typhoon Frank in June 2008.

Other than championing the rights and cause of Filipino seafarers, the UFS also occasionally provides opportunities for the men of the seas and their families to have worthwhile enjoyment and recreational activities. The union held its first ever UFS Summit in September 2004 at the Harrison Plaza in Pasay City that drew throngs of Filipino seafarers and their families to the venue, resulting to the big success of the event.

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 60

Kami sa MV Arcturus Engine Dept. ay sumu-suporta sa Malawakang Kilos Protesta Laban sa MARINA. (Chief Engr. Bernardo Arinasa, 1st Engr. Mark Nestle Mante Sorronda, 2Asst En-gr.R.Solitario Rem Solits , 3rd Asst.Engr.Julius Antipala, Electrician Romeo Silos, Oiler Teddy Arquiza).

O N L I N ETINIG NG MARINO

Gusto ko sanang batiin ang United Filipino Seafarer/ Tinig ng Marino ng advance happy anniversary salamat sa bawat laban, tulong para sa aming mga Marino Sir!!! Wag po sana kayong magsawang tumulong samin at good luck po sa Congress.

Maraming salamat, Tinig ng Marino at United Filipino Seafarers (UFS)!

Maraming-maraming salamat sa Tinig ng Marino. Palagi akong updated sa mga nangyayari sa sektor ng maritima.

Magandang umaga po sa lahat ng mga Pili-pino!

Salamat sa Tinig ng Marino. Ang dami kong natutunan sa pagbabasa ko nito! Keep it up!

TINIG NG MARINO | FEATURES

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Message us on our facebook page “United Filipino Seafarers” or email us through

[email protected]

TINIG NG MARINO | NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 | 61

during the years when Gambe, assisted by Oguez-Cabe, and Songcayauon, was busily building up the so-called ‘buffer fund’, Tinig ng Marino’s legitimate bank accounts were scraping bottom. In fact, Ramirez recalls that there were times when Tinig funds were so low that the payment for office rental was delayed, money for printing expenses and writers’ fees were not released on schedule; yet, during these pressing times when a buffer fund would have come in handy, Gambe never volunteered to use the money which he claimed to have earmarked for this very purpose. In his efforts to revive the existence of the publication, Engr. Ramirez, on the other hand, solicited financial assistance from his closest friends to cover the unpaid expenses. More suspiciously still, Gambe appeared to have had no plans at all to make the existence of the money known to the rest of the UFS staff. In fact, it was only by chance that UFS Executive Secretary Jesalyn Willow Ramirez stumbled upon a cheque that was payable to the unauthorized bank account. She, with the help of Administrative Staff Rey Sto. Domingo, asked Gambe, Songcayauon and Oguez-Cabe about it, but all three denied knowing about the matter. Gambe and his cohorts’ modus were only discovered after Jesalyn Ramirez and Sto. Domingo began talking to the manning agencies themselves, who revealed that they have been fully paying for the press for what Gambe had declared to be ‘freebies’. UFS staff shared that even now, three years after the initial discovery of Gambe, Songcayauon and Oguez-Cabe’s criminal actions, they have yet to realize the full extent of the theft to Tinig ng Marino’s funds. Ramirez shares that they continue to dig into the documents and operations records during the seven years that Gambe was managing editor, and they have evidence that could be used for at least two more counts of qualified theft against Gambe and company.©

Addt’l Theft Charges Filed Against Gambe, Cohorts as More Evidence Surface

from page 40

Paki-remind ang mga kamag-anak at kaibigan sa Pinas na manatiling nakatutok ling-go-linggo sa Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo sa DZXL 558 tuwing Lunes mula 11 a.m. hanggang 12 noon. Mapapanood niyo rin kami sa Pisobilities RealiTV tuwing Martes ng 8:30 ng gabi sa Light Network Channel 33 at tuwing Sabado sa GMA News TV 11 , 6 a.m. May bago akong libro, ang “Wealth Reached, Money Worked. Pera Mo, Pinalago Mo!” na ibinabahagi sa mga kwentong buhay ng mga sumunod sa aking payo mula 2004. Available ang lahat ng mga libro sa www.lazada.com.ph at www.amazon.com. Mabibili mo rin ito sa lahat ng National Bookstore outlets at sa aming website.

Gawing Simple ang Buhay(Ika-5 Bahagi)

from page 23

COMING VERY SOON!

FEBRUARY

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TINIG NG MARINO | EDITORIAL NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015 |

Old man: Doc, I have a Problem. At my age, i still chase women.Doctor: Whats wrong with that, Butch?Old man: Well, I chase them but i cant remember why.

One day on a bus, every passenger was afemale but the driver. There was a student, a waitress, a flight attendant, a slut and a nun. Then a guy boarded the bus and declared a hold up. So everybody gave money, jewelries and other pricey belongings. But the guy wasn’t contented. He said, “ I will rape each one of you.” Everybody got more nevous and afraid. The students and other ladies went crying. So the slut stood up and told the guy, “Just rape me, since that is the nature of my job. I don’t care how many times you want to do it, just let them go.” But the nun slapped the slut in the face and said, “Will you shut up? Didn’t you hear what he said”? He said EVERY-BODY!”

Killer: Hey you! What’s your name?Wife: My name is Lady!Killer: How can I kill you now? You have the same name as my mother! Okay you may leave...(turns to husband)Killer: Whats your name?Husband: Michael (killer points gun at the husband)Husband: ...by day, Lady by night!!

Two seamen searching for their lost girlfriends on their cruise ship

Bosun: How does your girlfriend look likeOiler: 5’6, hot, sexy, blue eyes... what about yours?Bosun: Forget about mine.. lets search for yours.

A man was fishing in the jungle. After a while another angler came to join him. “Have you had any bites?” asked the sec-ond man. “Yes, lots,” replied the first one, “but they were all mosquitoes.”

Two frat boys were lost at sea aboard a liferaft. On the fourth day, a mermaid came out of no-where and offered to grant them one wish. The frat boys thought hard until one shouted, “I wish the ocean was a sea of beer.” And their wish came true. After they swam and drank in the sea of beer, the other boy shouted, “Great, now we have to pee in this liferaft!”

Judge: Is this really your third marriage?Roger: Yes, it is your honor.Judge: What happened to your two wives?Roger: They Died.Judge: How did your first wife die?Roger: She ate some poisonous mushrooms.Judge: What about the second wife?Roger: She died from severe skull fracture.Judge: How did she get a skull fracture?Roger: She didnt eat the poisonous mushrooms.

After a day fishing in the ocean a fisherman is walking from the pier carrying two lobsters in a bucket. He is approached by the Game Warden who asks him for his fishing license. The fisherman says to the warden, “I did not catch these lobsters, they are my pets. Everyday I come down to the water and whistle and these lobsters jump out and I take them for a walk only to return them at the end of the day.” The warden, not believing him, reminds him that it is illegal to fish without a license. The fisherman turns to the warden and says, “If you don’t believe me then watch,” as he throws the lobsters back into the water. The warden says, “Now whistle to your lobsters and show me that they will come out of the water.” The fisherman turns to the warden and says, “What lobsters?”

A vessel full of ugly crew had collided to an iceberg. When they all died, God granted all of them one wish. The first person said, “I want to be handsome.” God snapped his fingers and it happened. The second person said the same thing and God did the same thing. This want on and on throughout the group. God noticed the last man in line was laughing hysterically. By the time God got to the last ten people, the last man was laughing and rolling on the ground. When the man’s turn came, he laughed and said, “I wish they were all ugly again.”

“CANT REMEMBER”

“LOST GIRLFRIENDS”“WISH GRANTED”

“HE SAID EVERYBODY”

“WHAT LOBSTERS?”

‘THIRD MARRIAGES“JUST CALL ME LADY”

“SEA OF BEER”

“LOTS OF BITES”

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