Philippines bans Filipino sailors near Somali waters

Manila: The Philippines has imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipino sailors on ships passing near Somali waters, officials said on Tuesday.

"This is designed to ensure the safety of our seafarers in that part of the world,'' Press Secretary Cerge Remonde told reporters after the government announced the move on Saturday.

A major seafarers union have opposed the ban, saying it would threaten the jobs of at least 150,000 Filipino seafarers.
"Tell us how the government plans to enforce this ban and we will tell you how the government can't do it," said Ernesto Herrera, secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

Herrera said the government should encourage shipping firms to upgrade their basic protective training of crew instead of the ban, adding piracy was not a new problem.

About 85 Filipinos in six vessels were still being held by Somali pirates after 23 crew members of tanker M/V Stolt Strength, captured on November 10, were freed on Tuesday.

Press Secretary Remonde said vessels with Filipino seaman aboard using the Suez Canal would be required to pass through the maritime security patrol area.

Remonde said that the labour and foreign ministry would also raise the government's concern on piracy near Somali waters with the United Nations and the International Maritime Organisation.

Seafarers make up a large part of the around 9 million Filipinos who work overseas. About 40 per cent of the 800,000 seafarers around the world are from the Philippines.

There were 293 piracy incidents worldwide in 2008—about 11 per cent up on the year before, the International Maritime Bureau said.