Seafarers hit Marina for new seamen’s book

MANILA, Philippines - A seafarers’ group criticized yesterday the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) for replacing the official seamen’s book with “a piece of paper” to be shown to port and immigration authorities abroad.

The United Filipino Seafarers (UFS) said presenting a sheet called Seafarers Identification Record (SIR), which replaced the Seafarers Identification and Record Book (SIRB), is embarrassing to foreign port and immigration inspectors.

“This is the first time in the world, and only in the Philippines, that a government maritime agency issued a piece of paper, instead of a book,” UFS president Nelson Ramirez said.

He explained that the book is vital and essential to any seaman when boarding a vessel for work anywhere in the world.

He said Marina had been giving out the SIRB for years, “but suddenly found itself in short supply of such important document and issued the SIR sheet instead.”

“The Filipino seafarers are disgusted and worried. Disgusted over the lack of foresight of Marina to confront the seaman’s book shortage and provide solution, and worried that if such incompetence continues, we will end up with no jobs,” Ramirez said.

He lamented that seafarers have difficulty in joining daily long lines just to secure an SIRB only to find out that the document has been replaced with a sheet of paper.