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Monday 24 November 2008

Japan needs 1,000 more Filipino seafarers annually

Japan needs an additional 1,000 Filipino seafarers annually for its maritime industry, according to a Japanese transport official, who attended the recent Sixth Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan and China Transport Ministers Meeting in Makati City.

Masafumi Shukuri, vice minister of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, said his country needs more seafarers from the Philippines to cover their expected shortage of shipping manpower by 2015. "About 1,000 seafarers will be needed in Japan every year," the Japanese official said through a translator. He cited Philippines as the major source of shipping manpower, because of the Filipinos' renowned maritime skills. Another Japanese official claimed that some 27,000 Filipino seafarers are currently employed by Japanese shipping companies.

Seafarers training program endorsed, In the joint ministerial meeting held at the Makati Shangri La Hotel, transport ministers from ASEAN and Japan endorsed the ASEAN-Japan Seafarers Training Cooperative Program and the ASEANJapan Eco-Airport Guideline. The ASEAN-Japan Seafarers Training Cooperative Program seeks to enhance the expertise of seafarers from ASEAN in the areas of specialization, competencies and training standards. Under the new framework, ASEAN and Japan will initiate projects for collaboration and partnerships among concerned government agencies as well as private and academic sectors.

Meanwhile, the ASEAN-Japan Eco-Airport Guideline aims to reinforce policies and measures for improving the vital conditions of airports in the region. This seeks to address such issues as air pollution, noise and vibration, as well as energy consumption and recycling.

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