Is there really a “seafaring industry”?
We look askance every time folks in Manila use the term “seafaring industry”. It’s normal to say “banking industry” but not “bank teller industry” – although bank tellers or cashiers are in the...
View ArticleThe fate of Manila’s maritime flunkeys
It seems utterly wrong to order maritime cadets to buy pizza and run other errands for company staff. But in Manila, it’s standard practice. Manning agencies and even unions use… Continue reading "The...
View ArticleA cat’s view of Manila’s manning sector
Readers may recall the first time we featured Frankie the Philosopher Cat. Recently one morning, he asked if he could go out for some fresh air and have a look-see… Continue reading "A cat’s view of...
View ArticleOf greenbacks, seafarers and servants
Counting money is boring. Counting certain other things, though, can be quite interesting. Take the seafarer statistics for 2009 from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). What...
View ArticleMindsets and maritime development
Once in a while, you hear it from foreigners: why haven’t Filipinos gone beyond ship manning? A chap from Norway sprang the question to us recently but couched it in more diplomatic terms. When will...
View ArticleGetting on board an ECDIS bandwagon
We’ve just received word from Transas St Petersburg that EPSILON Hellas and its Manila-based Epsilon Maritime Services have signed up for GET-Net, Transas’ global ECDIS training network. Their...
View ArticleGreat tips for maritime expats (updated)
Our original 10 tips for maritime expats in Manila, which came out in May 2010, drew some positive reactions from the foreign maritime community. Said one expat after reading the article: “Actually we...
View ArticleTime and the maritime status quo
Only 66 days before Christmas and 73 days before another new year. It’s not so much the swiftness of Time that amazes us as how everything is constantly changing – people, situations and even places....
View ArticleHow not to recruit Filipino seafarers
Nineteen manning agencies are facing sanctions after a recent Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) crackdown on illegal recruitment at Manila’s Luneta Park. None of them reportedly had...
View ArticleFive Filipino maritime illusions dispelled
“It is far harder to kill a phantom than a reality,” wrote the English writer Virginia Woolf. Quite true, but the maritime illusions which many Filipinos harbour need to be killed. Such phantoms are...
View ArticleShip manning and misplaced national pride
The post Ship manning and misplaced national pride appeared first on Marine Café Blog.
View ArticleA cat’s opinion of the ‘Day of the Seafarer’
This Sunday, the 25th of June, is the ‘Day of the Seafarer’. I thought I would chat with Frankie the Philosopher Cat and see if he’s in a mood to celebrate. Frankie is not much into festivities, but...
View ArticleCrewing agents as money changers
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Gmail All manning agents in Manila wear two hats: crew supplier and money changer. The second function is an incidental adjunct to the first. It is not wrongful or illicit per...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....