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A SALUTE TO THE NOBLE HEROES OF THE SEA

Every profession and every person has its own story to tell and to be a seafarer is
not an exemption. Filipino seafarers who are sea-based migrant workers has a lot of
experiences to share. Nowadays, we believe that when a person works as a seaman,
the first thing that comes into our mind is that they have a lot of benefits, they enjoy
travelling around the globe and the most usual impression is that they receive a bigger
salary.

They are tasked to work in the vast sea of the world, away from their loved-ones
for quite a long time and working tediously just to give their family a good future.
Regardless of the hardships they experience while working afar, they are still in the
position of doing their responsibility well in their respective ships. Behind those good
impressions of bringing home dollars, they don’t have no idea of what is to be a
seafarer.

The Philippine economy is hugely helped because of the remittances from the
salary they earn. These remittances help domestic consumption and a major
ingredient in the Philippines to drive a sustainable growth. This reason itself is already
considered as a valuable contribution to the country, thus making them as the modern
heroes. The seafarers are heroes of their families, the champion of our nation.

Being a seafarer is never an easy job. If family problems arise, seafarer’s can’t
just go home and settle everything and ensure that everything will be fine. They
cannot just leave the bulk of responsibilities they have on-board. This makes them
stronger and learn to balance their professional and personal life.

Filipino seafarers are given positive notion of being hardworking and good in
interpersonal relations. They can cope well with different people, who have different
personalities, different beliefs, different cultures, different orientation and maybe
different perspectives. Our seafarers are always at the forefront and most sought by
foreign principals because of their good attitude and perseverance they show
on-board.

There are a lot of inspiring stories about our pride, the Filipino seafarers. The
fifteen seafarers who received an award from Norwegian Armed Force recognizing
them for their meritorious assistance to the Norwegian government and the United
Nations in removing chemical weapons in Syria. This story was indeed worthy of
emulation which proves that our men has the courage to save people.

Back in 2014, another Filipino seafarer named Vicente Somera was named as a
hero in London after rescuing a sailor in danger. Once again, we have proven the
world that our seafarers are not just responsible people but serves as a good example
to others.

Jasmin Libranda , the first Filipina seafarer who became a captain at very young
age of 32 has proven that gender is no longer an issue in the maritime profession. It is
a matter of determination, intellect and the will power to dominate the world.

Alongside with the stories I have mentioned, I believe there are still so many
inspiring stories which were untold, but one thing is for sure, they earn respect from
the rest of the world. Despite the many challenges and dangers that they might
encounter at sea, they show no hesitation and doubts to pursue their dreams. They
continue to fight the loneliness for their goals, for their families, for their goals and for
the country they take pride. A true story of dedication is when you know you might in
danger but for your dreams to achieve and fidelity in helping, they will continue to
move forward.

The Philippines is a good source of responsible seafarers around the world. In


fact, Filipino comprise at least 25% of the million mariners in the world. Foreign
countries describe Filipinos as hardworking, disciplined, flexible and packed with a
strong attitude towards working.
To this end, I would like to salute our noble heroes of the sea, heroes of their
families and heroes of the country. The Philippines will continue to take pride of the
valuable contributions you give. You are the new heroes of a strong family…. of a
strong country.

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