1997: Second National Seafarers' Day

The Second  National Seafarers' Day was celebrated on August 18, 1997 with the theme "MARINONG FILIPINO: May Dangal, Kakayahan at Talino Dapat Suportahan at Ipagmalaki" at the Philippine Coast Guard , South Harbor Manila. 

Former president Fidel V. Ramos earlier issued on July 9, 1996 Proclamation No. 828 declaring August 18 as National Seafarers Day wherein  the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) was tasked to coordinate with the public and private sector in   activities related to the celebration of said event. The purpose of the Proclamation is to give 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. 

Per 1997 government data, there were 188,469 documented seafarers deployed abroad with employment contracts approved by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)  with dollar remittances reaching US$257.61  million. Present data showed that there were 367,166 Filipino seafarers deployed in 2013 with dollar remittances of US$5.575 billion in 2014. 

POEA  issued Memorandum Circular No.1 Series of 1997 instructing all shipowners and principal to make the necessary adjustments on the basic  wages of affected positions to avoid distortion of the wage scale of the crew. The basic minimum wage of an Able Seaman was pegged at US$335.00 per month. 

It was on 1 February 1997 when the 1995 amendments of the  International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) entered into  force .  The most significant amendments concerned:

• a) enhancement of port state control;
• b) communication of information to IMO to allow for mutual oversight and consistency in application of standards,
• c) quality standards systems (QSS), oversight of training, assessment, and certification procedures,
  • The Amendments require that seafarers be provided with "familiarization training" and "basic safety training" which includes fire prevention & fire fighting, elementary first aid, personal survival techniques, and personal safety and social responsibility. This training is intended to ensure that seafarers are aware of the hazards of working on a vessel and can respond appropriately in an emergency.
• d) placement of responsibility on parties, including those issuing licenses, and flag states employing foreign nationals, to ensure seafarers meet objective standards of competence, and
• e) rest period requirements for watchkeeping personnel.

The 22nd National Seafarers Day is all  set on September 24,2017  with the theme "Marinong Filipino: Nag-uugnay sa Mundo!". 

The #NSD22 #NSD2017 activities nationwide led by the #ApostleshipoftheSea ( #AOS ) include the Memorial at Sea, High Mass, Oratorical/ Art/ Photo Contest, Harana by the Bay, Boodlefight, Karaoke challenge, and the Search for Top Ten Outstanding Maritime Students. One of the highlights is the Grand Parade to be participated in by more than 4000 stakeholders from maritime schools, government agencies, manning agencies, training centers, maritime organizations, unions, families and private institutions