Filipino Sailors Face Pirates and Financial Crisis

Despite the dangerous increase of piracy on the high seas, Filipino sailors, who make up 40 percent of the world's shipping crews, are more fearful of the global financial crisis than getting hijacked.


STORY:
The Philippines provides up to 40 percent of the world with sailors. And Filipinos make up 127 of the 243 sailors still held captive by Somali pirates.

The increasingly brazen attacks by pirates off Africa's east coast were well known among the seamen, but they were still eager to get back to sea.

Up to 1,000 seafarers gather every day at a park in downtown Manila to look for available jobs offered by some 100 shipping and manning agencies.

Advertised salaries range from $1,300 to $12,600 U.S. dollars per month for varying crew positions, a far cry from Manila's minimum wage of USD $7.64 a day.

Many were anxious to nail down jobs since they fear the mounting global financial crisis will begin to bite next year.

[Mario Isagani Aniora, Seaman]:
"We're more scared of the global financial crisis - because that's what will hurt us if the opportunities for seafarers disappear -- compared to passing through Somalia. We're not scared of that.”

Most belittle the threat of hijacking.

[Richard Mendez, Seaman]:
"It's just a matter of timing. Sometimes it's your turn to face danger. And maybe the vessels lack security. Anyway the manning agencies know where there are hijackings, so why do they still send sailors there?"

Manning agencies say there could be as many as 20,000 jobs lost next year due to the global economic slowdown.