With the new generation of seafarers and an increasing awareness regarding safety, we can consider the maritime industry as one of the safest job. With the implementation of ISM, reports are documented and signed by the crew onboard the ship. But to some extent, the reports that we read may or may not be an honest and straight report? How will we be able to know that we are getting an honest report? The extent of not getting an honest report could result to a serious accident in the future.

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A cadet on a maritime school aspires to become a good seafarer someday. With his learned knowledge he strives to embark onboard a ship in a good company. Working onboard the ship for more than 6 months even up to 1 year gives him a chance to upgrade his profession and for possible promotion as an officer. After a few years of working onboard the ship he suddenly decides to stop and start to work on land. Nobody knows the reason why.

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Every person wants to know his own history. Where he came from, the family that he belongs to, and the people that surrounds him. The same thing with a country’s history, everybody in almost all nations wants to know where they came from and what influenced their culture. In the case of the Filipinos, our history was hidden from us. From the time that the Spanish “Conquistadors” ruled the country for a hundred years, the history became a myth. A talk of the town, with no evidence to prove its existence.

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Upon arrival at port a seafarer would normally finished his job and turn over his duties in order to go ashore. After a 15 to 27 days of voyage at sea, we normally get excited whenever we see land. Putting aside the idea of having a visa, a typical seafarer would normally ask permission to the officer in charge in order to go ashore. Imagine the disappointment of a seafarer whenever his shore leave is denied due to not having a visa. Why do they really require seafarers to have a visa? We only stay a few days or most of the time less than 24 hours alongside a port.

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A person who gives excessive complaints, also known as complainers are very common on the ship. You can consider yourself a lucky person if you haven’t work with a complainer. Mostly they complain about the food. Its either they don’t like the food, or the way the chief steward prepares it. Eventually they will eat the food, after a few minutes of whining and complaining. But most of the time they will say harsh words to the cook whenever they don’t like the food. After reading this article, maybe you would consider to stop complaining with your food, and start appreciating the cook.

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The Spratly Islands which consists of more than 100 reefs, islets and islands, occupies less than five square kilometers, and spread over more than 400,000 square kilometers of sea, located between the Philippines and Vietnam, in the area of the South China Sea.

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Its a very popular prank phrase that you would always hear whenever your on the high sea’s, and this heckler “Filipino Monkey” was one their reason during the incident in the Strait of Hormuz.

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