Press Release
May 8, 2008

Jinggoy lauds Pinoy seaman who exposed
vessel's illegal dumping of waste into the ocean

"Protector of the Seas!" - This was how Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has described a Filipino seaman who recently exposed the illegal dumping of an estimated 30 tons of waste in the Atlantic Ocean by the ship where he was working.

Forty-nine year old mariner Domingo Silva, third engineer of the ship, MSC Trinidad, earlier took a video of the vessel's release of sludge - a mixture of ballast water and oil - through a bypass pipe from the ship directly into Canadian waters while the vessel was in transit between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and immediately reported this to the International Transport Federation based in Montreal, Canada.

Canadian officials are now investigating Silva's allegations against MSC Trinidad, and said the vessel operator and owner, Mediterranean Shipping Co., if found guilty, could be fined up to $1 million under the Canada Shipping Act and the Migratory Birds Act.

"This is another great report about our seafarers who have been renowned worldwide for their dedication to work and strict adherence to laws," said Estrada, concurrent chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, and of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment.

Estrada earlier started the hearing on the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) resolution making Management Level Course (MLC) mandatory for seafarers before qualifying for employment as marine officers, as well as other concerns of Filipino mariners.

The PRC said the MLS is a requirement of the 1978 International Convention on Standard of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) as amended, to which the Philippines is a signatory, though various seafarers' organizations claimed that such course would only duplicate the training they had in getting their bachelor's degree, and that it is also an added financial burden for them.

"As we resolve this issue, and as we aim for more upgrading of the competence of our seafarers, the act of Mr. Silva once again proved that the Filipino mariners indeed have the global competitive advantage over other nationalities in terms of knowledge, skills and attitude, and also, the concern for environment as protectors of the seas," Estrada said.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) data shows there are some 230,000 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2006.

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