Music plays a special role on Filipino seafarers’ life, whether at sea or on land.
A sunset environmental concert dubbed as Harana by the Bay of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) symphony band pays homage to the oceans and seas to keep our Filipino seafarers safe in their voyage
Harana is part of the celebration of the 24rd National Seafarers Day led by the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) Philippines and the 20th National Maritime Week.
Harana was an exclusively nocturnal practice which gained popularity in the early part of the Spanish Period that was widely practiced in many parts of the Philippines with a set of protocols, a code of conduct, and specific romantic style of music.
Organized in 2000, the PCG band is composed of both junior and senior ranking non-commissioned officers who represented the institution in the different parts of the country, be it for entertainment, advertisement and for keeping the PCG's vision, mission and primary functions thru musical entertainment.
It is also an understatement to say that karaoke is a central part of pop culture of Filipinos , including seafarers whether on board or in between contracts.
Karaoke is the clipped compound of Japanese kara (empty) and ōkesutora (orchestra) that is an interactive entertainment in which an amateur singer sings along with recorded music (or a music video) using a microphone.
Karaoke is indeed a favorite past time of Filipino seafarers as one of the coping mechanisms aboard international and domestic shipping vessels to address stress and boredom.
The sea can’t stop the seafarers in mastering the art of vocal mimicry from contagiously belting out songs like the infamous “My Way.”
In between contracts, Pinoy seafarers and maritime students converging along Kalaw show their singing prowess through a weekly show organized by volunteers.
The Boses ng Marino Karaoke Challenge by the Luneta Seafarer's Welfare Foundation (LUSWEL:F) was included in the Pasiklaban Musicfest of this year’s NSD at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies, followed by the battle of the bands.
The Philippines is considered as the major supplier of maritime labor globally as it is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every four to five complements on board a vessel at any time.
The estimated 337,502 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2018 remitted $6.14 billion or around P318.55 billion. The sea-based sector’s remittance comprise at least 22% of the total dollar remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). These remittances help spur domestic consumption in the Philippines and a key ingredient in the country’s drive to achieve higher but sustainable growth.
However, away from his family and working on board vessels sailing non-stop for weeks or months the world’s oceans, the Filipino seafarer is physically, mentally and emotionally stressed.
Constantly exposed to fluctuating temperatures caused by variant weather changes of extreme hot and cold as the ships cross ocean boundaries, the risks of his getting killed, injured or ill are high.
Former president Fidel V. Ramos issued on July 9, 1996 Proclamation No. 828 declaring Aug. 18 as National Seafarers’ Day aimed at giving due recognition to the vital role of Filipino seafarers towards the development of the Philippines as a maritime country. Later, Proclamation No. 1094 was issued in 1997 by President Ramos which moved NSD to every last Sunday of September every year.
The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) Philippines was tasked to coordinate with the public and private sectors in activities related to the celebration of said event.
This year’s NSD is set on September 29, 2019 with the theme “ Marinong Filipino- Kababaihan: Palakasin sa Industriya!” in line with 2019 World Maritime Day theme ( Empowering Women in the Maritime Community).
The Sunday masses during the NSD all over the country are offered to the Filipino seafarers.
Other weeklong NSD activities nationwide led by AOS include memorial at sea, novenas, oratorical/art /photo contest, film showings, search for the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP) and the grand parade participated in by stakeholders.
The NSD coincides with the National Maritime Week celebrated every last week of September spearheaded alternatively by the government agencies Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
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Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).
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