MikeLigalig.com

Mayen Jaymalin
The Philippine Star

There are not enough Filipino maritime officers to fill the huge demand from foreign shippers, according to an industry expert.

Christopher Maambong, former Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) marine engineering board member, said the Philippines is not producing enough maritime officers to meet the global demand.

“We are having a scarcity of maritime officers that we could not even fill up the current demand from foreign employers,” Maambong said.

Maambong said the prevailing shortage of Filipino maritime officers is irreversible for the next three years and may even worsen due to growing global demand.

“As of now I don’t think we would able to resolve the shortage because we just could not produce a new captain in only two years. It would take longer than that,” Maambong said in an interview.

He said that Japan and other countries with strong shipping industries are concerned over the shortage and are even helping the Philippine government address the problem.

daghan kaayo sa PMI, sige stambay sa sugalan ug inuman.

they are our future mariners?

future SHEman.