Panama’s Minister of Maritime Affairs Jorge Barakat and Panamanian ambassador to the Philippines Rolando Guevarra visit Eagle Broadcasting Corporation
QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Minister for Maritime Affairs of Panama recently visited Eagle Broadcasting Corporation’s main office in Quezon City to promote the 100th year anniversary of the Panama Ship registry this year, highlighting the commitment to safety of human life at sea, protection of the marine environment, and navigation of the world’s largest open ship registry in the world.
And for Panama’s shipping industry, Filipino seafarers are making a mark.
In his visit to EBC’s main office in Quezon City on Friday, June 16, Panama’s Minister of Maritime Affairs H. E. Jorge Barakat Pitty highlighted the importance of Filipino seafarers in the shipping industry, saying they are among the best in the world, and invited more Filipino seafarers to work aboard Panama’s ships.
“The Philippine seafarers are the heart of our vessels,” he said in an exclusive interview at one of EBC’s studios.
“So we are very proud with this strong relations that we have with the Philippines,” Minister Barakat said.
The Panama Ship registry is the world’s largest open ship registry with over 8,000 registered vessels, representing 18 percent of the world’s fleet.
Established by law in December 1917, Panama’s Registry is known to have one of the world’s best records in environmental and safety compliance and vessel loss prevention. It has over 1,000 inspectors in more than 300 ports to ensure compliance worldwide.
“It’s an honor to be here, to share with you our vision about the maritime sector, but most importantly, the good relations we have with the Philippines,” explained Minister Barakat.
“We’re honored to celebrate the hundred years of the Panama Ship Registry. It’s a century of experience but most importantly, it’s a century of friendship with different partners,” he said.
100 years of service
The Panamanian Registry has its origins in the year 1917, Law 63 of 15 December 1917, according to information from the Panama Maritime Authority.
“Later in 1925, through Law 8 of 1925, the Panamanian Merchant Marine was created and restrictions regarding nationality and residence of ship owners were eliminated, thus adopting an open registry system,” it said.
Since then, the Panamanian ship’s registry accepts ships that belong to nationals and foreigners. This is “under the condition that they will comply with the domestic and international standards relating to navigability, maritime safety, prevention and control of pollution, manning, certification and watchkeeping of seafarers, technical social standards and tax matters,” according to Panama Maritime Authority’s website.
Mr. Barakat stressed how the hundred years of Panama’s ship registry also meant celebrating a century of Panama’s friendship with other countries involved in the shipping industry.
And one of those important partners is the Philippines which, according to Panama’s officials, is currently is the best source of seafarers in the world.
Panama wants more Filipino seafarers
The Panamanian minister said that Filipino seafarers on board Panamanian vessels are very important that they want more Filipinos to be on Panama’s ships.
In fact, he said that last year, Panama Maritime Authority and the Philippines’ Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) signed a cooperation agreement “to promote more Philippine seafarers on board Panamanian vessels.”
“You’re doing a very good job,” he said of Filipino seafarers.
“I’m very proud as a minister of Maritime Affairs to emphasize the quality of the Philippine seafarers and that’s why I’m here in the Philippines, in order to promote more participation of Filipino seafarers and invite you,” Minister Barakat said.
He said that in his visit to the Philippines, he is inviting training centers for seafarers for join the new system of registration so that more Filipino seafarers would be enjoined to board Panamanian vessels.
“I want to take this opportunity to invite academies and training centers to join us — this new system that we have in order to promote more Philippine task force on board Panamanian vessels,” he said.
Panama’s new online system for seafarers
The new system involves online registration where seafarers can send their applications online and automatically.
“So you just need to enter into the system in order to work directly with our General Consulate in Manila,” said Minister Barakat who came to EBC along with Panamanian Ambassador to the Philippines Rolando Guevarra Alvarado.
Ambassador Guevarra, in an earlier interview with Eagle News at EBC studios, said that the Panamanian Embassy registers more than 200 Filipino seafarers in a day.
“The reason why the Panamanian embassy is here, it’s because of the shipping,” Ambassador Guevarra said.
“Filipino seafarers are hard workers. They do adapt to the different scenarios. That is why they are preferred by ship owners,” he said.
Panama’s online system was launched last year and aims to have paperless registration for all ships.
“At this moment we’re 80 percent of the capacity of the system. We’re improving the system in order to be more accurate for the service that we provided. And in August, we will conclude all the system applications that we’re improving now,” Minister Barakat said.
He said this was very important as even the training centers for seafarers will be part of the system.
In the past, the system was manual so the applicants will still have to send in their papers to Panama through their consulate office.
“Now, it’s online. Because the hundred years means renovations, modernizations. And our main objective is this paperless culture,” Minister Barakat stressed.
For Panama, it is historical and auspicious that the 100th year of the Panama Ship Registry will be celebrated, just a year after Panama Canal expansion project was inaugurated,
The Panama Canal expansion project was inaugurated on June 26, 2016.
(Eagle News Service)