Japan Shipowners and Mariners Management Associations Express Confidence on Skills of Filipino Seafarers Working Aboard Japanese Flag and Owned/Operated Merchant Ships
(Left to right– Capt. Toshihiro Tanaka, General Manager, Marine Division, JSA; Mr. Hitoshi Hosaka, Managing Director, JSA; Mr. Toshihito Inoue, Secretary General, IMMAJ; Mr. Yoshikiyo Ono, Secretary General, JSA; DCM Gilberto Asuque; Capt. Masami Sasaki, Chairman, IMMAJ; Mr. Osamu Suzuki, Vice President, JSA; Ms. Ma. Luz Talento, POLO Labor Attaché; Ms. Liwayway Ilo, POLO Welfare Officer; and Mr. Yasuhiro Nishioka, Managing Director, JSA)
29 September 2014 – Top officials of the Japanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA) and the International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ) have expressed their confidence on the competence, skills and dedication to the maritime profession of the Filipino seafarers working aboard Japanese flag and Japanese owned or operated merchant ships.
The JSA and IMMAJ officials met with the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Gilberto Asuque who formally introduced to the shipping executives the new Labor Attaché Ma. Luz Talento with Welfare Officer Liwayway Ilo of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) Tokyo (photo above). DCM Asuque and the POLO officials called on the top shipping executives of Japan to establish closer links with Japanese shipowners and ship managers for the promotion of the interests of Filipino seafarers working aboard Japanese flag and Japanese owned/operated ships.
The JSA and IMMAJ executives said Filipino seafarers comprise 72.54% or 35,380 seafarers of the total number of foreign and Japanese seafarers working aboard Japanese flag and Japanese owned or operated merchant ships flying a foreign flag, all Filipino seamen are members of the Associated Marine Officer’s and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP).
They further informed the Embassy officials that Filipino seafarers with Japanese license or certificates comprise about 70% or 4,477 seamen of the total number of foreign seafarers working aboard Japanese flag merchant ships.
Capt. Masami Sasaki, Chairman, IMMAJ and Mr. Osamu Suzuki, Vice President, JSA said that the employment of Filipino seafarers who comprise the majority in the crewing list of the Japanese merchant fleet underscores the importance of Filipino seamen in the international commercial maritime fleet of Japan. They added that the JSA and IMMAJ prefer Filipino seafarers for their competence, skills and dedication to the maritime profession and thus will continue to provide training support through their recognized maritime education and training institutions in the Philippines to ensure compliance with the IMO STCW Convention and other international shipping standards.
