Philippines remains the world’s leading supplier of seafarers

Philippines remains top supplier of seafarers

Bella Cariaso 
The Philippine Star 
July 12, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines remains the world’s leading supplier of seafarers, reaffirming its vital role in providing skilled maritime professionals to the global merchant fleet, the Maritime Industry Authority said yesterday.

MARINA cited the Seafarer Workforce Report 2026 which ranked the Philippines as first among the world’s five largest seafarer-supplying countries.

The report estimated that the Philippines supplies 203,179 officers, ahead of India with 140,718 officers, China with 110,893, the Russian Federation with 85,816 and Indonesia with 72,304.

The report said the Philippines and the four other top countries account for 56.25 percent of the global seafarer workforce supply.

MARINA added that data from shipping companies also showed that Filipinos are the leading nationality certified by the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), followed by Ukrainians, Indians, Romanians and Poles.

Filipinos also ranked first in both the officer and rating categories, MARINA added.

The agency said it continues to strengthen the country’s maritime education, training, assessment and certification systems to keep Filipino seafarers competent, globally competitive and compliant with international standards.

“The agency also continues to pursue reforms that improve the quality of maritime training and certification and address the evolving skills and competency needs of the global shipping industry,” MARINA added.

It said the findings reaffirm the Philippines’ leading role in the global maritime workforce and the continued demand for the competence and professionalism of Filipino seafarers in international shipping.

Published every five years, the Seafarer Workforce Report provides estimates on the global supply and demand of STCW-certified seafarers, workforce demographics and the future manpower needs of the world merchant fleet.

Philippines stands to become the next shipping and maritime investment destination

Philippines seen as maritime investment hub

Story by Pia Lee-Brago 

Philstar Global

12 July 2024

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines stands to become the next investment destination in the shipping and maritime industry, an official said at a maritime forum hosted by the embassy in Greece.

Image by Alexandre Gonçalves da Rocha from Pixabay

The Philippine embassy in Athens led by Ambassador Giovanni Palec recently organized the Philippine Maritime Forum to promote the Philippines as an investment destination in the sector.

In attendance were shipowners and representatives from various ship management companies, maritime law firms and manning agencies that had representative offices in the Philippines.

Palec highlighted the longstanding bilateral relations between the Philippines and Greece with the two countries celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2025.

He noted that both the Philippines and Greece are maritime nations and this common ground has been a significant factor in their close relationship with the Philippines providing a huge number of skilled seafarers around the world, with Greece owning the biggest number of fleets globally and employing many Filipino workers.

He also encouraged the representatives to form an association so that as a group they could convey their positions on certain issues related to their field as this would be beneficial to both parties.

Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) administrator Sonia Malaluan gave a briefing on the Philippines’ thriving maritime industry, highlighting the latest trends and developments in the sector, the huge number of seafarers deployed by the country internationally and the Philippines’ shipbuilding industry which ranks as the fourth biggest worldwide.

Department of Migrant Workers Assistant Secretary for sea-based OFW concerns Jerome Pampolina presented the various programs of the DMW aimed at upskilling and making Filipino workers more competitive globally, including in shipping and maritime-related services.

PPA will spend about P16 billion to build several infrastructure projects

Port Authority to invest P16 billion in 14 big-ticket projects

Tyrone Jasper C. Piad 

Inquirer.net

10 July 2024

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will spend about P16 billion in the next four years to build several infrastructure projects, including 14 big-ticket port developments across the country, in line with the increasing passenger and cargo traffic.

Jay Daniel Santiago, general manager of the ports regulator, told reporters on Tuesday that the 14 major maritime projects were targeted to be completed by 2028.

“We’ve started engaging consultancy services for the feasibility studies already,” he said.The study will involve site survey primarily to identify locations that require further connectivity via sea transport, Santiago explained. These projects are clustered into three sections based on island groups.

In Luzon, the projects are Port Capinpin Expansion project in Orion, Bataan; Currimao Port Expansion and Restoration project; Jose Panganiban Port Improvement project in Camarines Norte; Balogo Port in Camarines Sur; and Wharf in Claveria Port of Cagayan.

The projects in Visayas are Wharf and Operational area construction at Catacbacan Port in Loon, Bohol; Tapal Port Expansion in Ubay, Bohol; New Port Development projects in Lavezares, Northern Samar; Babatngon Port in Leyte; Banago Port Improvement Project in Negros Occidental; and Ormoc Port Extension Project in Leyte.

In Mindanao, the PPA will work on the construction of a cargo ship port in Dapa, Surigao del Norte; upgrading of general cargo berth at Davao City Port of Sasa; and expansion of Plaridel Port in Misamis Oriental.

Along with this, the PPA is also in the process of crafting a master plan to develop 10 sea terminals across the country.

 

These terminals are located in Davila, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Taytay, Palawan; Buenavista, Guimaras; San Carlos, Negros Occidental; Dumaguete, Negros Oriental; Lazi, Siquijor; Catbalogan, Samar; Zamboanga, Zamboanga del Sur; and Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands.

This year, Santiago said passenger traffic would likely pick up by 30 to 33 percent while cargo movement would improve by 10 to 13 percent.

He expects seaports to get busier toward the end of the year because of the usual holiday traffic.PPA reported that passenger traffic on sea terminals had surged by 24 percent to 73.61 million last year from 59.19 million in 2022. However, this was still below the 2019 level of 83.72 million passengers.

Meanwhile, cargo throughput last year grew by about 5 percent to 271.97 million metric tons (MT) from 259.14 million MT in 2022. This exceeded the prepandemic volume of 265.88 million MT in 2019. INQ

Filipino seafarers hailed as heroes of global trade

Filipino seafarers hailed as heroes of global trade

Manila Standard
27June 2024

Filipino seafarers are lauded by the government for their vital role in keeping global trade flowing smoothly through their efficient transport of goods.

“Our continuous inclusion in the whitelist of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) manifests our strict compliance to high standards in maritime education, training, and certification,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said.

“The recognition shows that our seafarers, who were trained and certified in the Philippines, meet the rigorous international standards by the IMO,” he added.

For her part, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Sonia B. Malaluan emphasized the need to equip seafarers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools for safety.

“Safety is an integral part of our seafarers’ everyday lives. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to navigate their duties safely. As we celebrate, let us reinforce our commitment to creating a safer maritime environment, where every seafarer is protected, valued, and empowered,” Malaluan said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. acknowledged the role and efforts of MARINA in promoting a highly skilled and competitive maritime workforce and adopting an efficient maritime administration governance system.

“I laud the MARINA for complying with international standards and keeping at par with other nations when it comes to this specialized industry,” President Marcos stated.

“Rest assured that this administration, through the Department of Transportation (DOTr), continues to work conscientiously in ensuring the advancement of our maritime industry and securing the best interest of all Filipino seafarers as we sail onward to our dream of a Bagong Pilipinas,” Marcos added.

MARINA celebrated the Day of the Filipino Seafarer on 25 June 2024, with a series of events that honored the invaluable contribution of seafarers to international trade and the global economy.

The celebration emphasized the importance of safety at sea, aligning with the 2024 campaign theme and the World Maritime theme, “Navigating the Future: Safety First,” alongside the digital campaign #SafetyTipsAtSea.

Philippines makes it to IMO 'white list'

Philippines makes it to IMO 'white list' — DOTr

Story by TED CORDERO
GMA Integrated News 
22 May 2024

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Wednesday that the Philippines was once again included on the so-called “white list” of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

In a news release, the DOTr said the country’s inclusion on the white list affirms the Philippines’ status as a major provider of world-class Filipino seafarers in the global maritime industry.

Citing the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), the Transportation Department said the recognition was given for the country’s commitment to maintaining high standards in maritime education, training, and certification for Filipino seafarers.

It said that the IMO white list signifies that seafarers trained and certified in the Philippines meet the rigorous international standards set by the IMO Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention.

"Our goal is to entrench the position of the Philippines as the Maritime Capital of the World by continuously supplying the global maritime industry with high-standard Filipino seafarers," said Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

He added that the DOTr is determined to address challenges faced by the maritime industry in the country.

In December 2022, the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) notified the Philippines of some deficiencies, including serious ones, such as in the Philippine seafarers’ education, training, and certification system.

MARINA has since exerted efforts to consistently implement and monitor the corrective actions for the benefit of almost 50,000 Filipino seafarers employed by European-flagged vessels.

The IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) later confirmed that the Philippines had fully complied with the relevant provisions of the STCW Convention. —VBL, GMA Integrated News

The Philippines could become a maritime superpower

PH can be a maritime superpower – PMMA official

Story by The Manila Times
11 May 2024

THE Philippines could become a maritime superpower. This possibility was raised by Commodore Joel Abutal, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) superintendent.

"If we really like to be a maritime superpower, we need to develop other maritime infrastructures, software and hardware in becoming a maritime superpower," Abutal said.

Abutal mentioned that 10 to 20 percent of PMMA graduates went on to serve in the Philippine Navy or the Philippine Coast Guard, while 80 to 90 percent chose to work in the merchant marine.

He stressed that $10 to 12 billion in remittances a year came from merchant marines. "It's big money that can support the economy, even the modernization of our Armed Forces. We would like to make [PMMA] a more productive institution."

He said this could only be achieved if PMMA added more educational programs. Currently, PMMA only had two programs: Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering, as stated in the charter of the PMMA.

Abutal said PMMA hoped to amend its charter through a bill in Congress which would convert the PMMA into the Philippine National Maritime Academy.

Abutal also revealed that demand for merchant marines was more than the Philippines and other maritime countries could provide.

He said some 89,000 seafarers were needed by international shipping companies. "In our case, we can only supply 220 graduates every year."