The Painful Truth Among Filipino Seafarers

Ship in rough seas
Image Source: Association of Filipino Seamen in Facebook

There's an advertisement in a maritime school saying " See the world for free and have a girl in every port, be a seafarer".

That maybe the reason why many are attracted to become a seafarer. They don't know that it's like a life in the military, one of our foot is in the grave already.

We live in a house that is made of metal floating in the high seas. There are times that in a week or two, we're being strike by huge waves that we almost can't sleep and eat. We have to live in this state for six to twelve months.

Image Source: Association of Filipino Seamen in Facebook

Sometimes we only sleep for 2 hours a day because of the special circumstances onboard. Also, awaken in the middle of your sleep, we all know how bad it is. Not to mention the seasickness, imagine being seasick for months.

Image Source: Association of Filipino Seamen in Facebook

Many children of our fellow seafarers we're doomed of bad habits because we're not in their side to guide and protect them. Many families are broken and many lives went astray because we are in a far place to be able to send money that we need for our better future.


And after all the things we experienced in the middle of the ocean we're happy to see our families after the long contract but there are loads of training and torment of processing our documents from Maritime Industry Authority(MARINA).

Image Source: Association of Filipino Seamen in Facebook

We have no choice but to obey, we can't continue working onboard ships without those training and document required by the administration. They keep adding excessive trainings and at the same time the price keeps going up.


If you think seafarers live a luxurious life onboard a vessel with beautiful girls in every port, that's a myth a long time ago. Think again.

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