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Panama and Philippines maritime chiefs discuss seafarers' status

Panama and Philippines maritime chiefs discuss seafarers' status
Panama’s Maritime Authority (AMP) Administrator Jorge Barakat and his Filipino counterpart Maximo Mejia Jr held a meeting in Manila to discuss changes in Panama’s Maritime Administration and the revision of assessments of competence of seafarers.

Panama has around some 300,000 seafarers working on Panama-flagged vessels, of which some 60% are Filipinos. “It is of prime importance for Panama to count on Filipinos seafarers who have an excellent reputation in the shipping industry,” AMP Administrator Jorge Barakat told Mejia.

“Philippines and Panama have the same maritime interests. It is essential for us to maintain a close co-operation and relationship for the benefit of our mutual interests and Filipinos seafarers’ welfare,” Mejia said.

The visit marked a milestone for the Panamanian Administration since it is Barakat’s first mission abroad, only one month after his designation as the chief of the sector overseeing the Panama Ship Registry. “In our institution, there will always be room for consultation and no room for imposition, particularly when the discussion is about controversial issues for the international shipping industry, such as safety and the protection of human life at sea and the implementation of MLC2006,” said Barakat, who was accompanied by the AMP’s director of seafarers, Jorge Luis Aizpurua.

The Panamanian delegation met also with top executives of Magsaysay, Philippines’ largest training and recruitment agency for seafarers to update them on the latest dispositions regarding seafarers’ IDs and assessments certificates.