3 Pinoy Seaman, detained

Three of the 12 Filipino seafarers virtually detained for over eight months in a Panama-flagged ship arrived in Manila Tuesday, bringing with them hopes not only for the payment of their back wages, but also for the speedy repatriation of their compatriots still in Greece.

Fifty-year-old Primo Fernandinco, who worked as a cook in the cargo carrier MV Aetea Sierra, expressed concern for the welfare of the nine other Filipinos still aboard the ship, which has been grounded in Greece since July last year.

“Tipid na lang kami sa pagkain para hindi maubos. ‘Yung tubig, kinakalawang na rin (We’re scrimping on food so it will last. As for our water containers, they’re taking up some rust too)," Fernandinco said in an interview with GMANews.TV.

Fernandinco arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on the afternoon of March 23 from Athens, along with mess men Jerry Laride and Erolin Chong Jr.

Stranded since July

The MV Aetea Sierra was impounded in the Piraeus Port in September near Athens when a case was filed against its owners by the ship charterers for its alleged failure to unload the cargo at the agreed port. Its crew had then been stranded in the ship since July last year.

The seafarers scored victory in December last year after a Greek court ruled that the ship’s crew, which also included Ukrainian and Montenegrin nationals, should get higher back wages to cover the period of July 9 to November 9 of last year, and residual claims until their actual departure from Greece. (See: Pinoys must get higher backpay – Greek court)

Fernandinco said they have already been paid their salaries for the initial four months that they were stranded, but they are still awaiting claims equivalent to roughly four months’ salary.

He described their eight-month ordeal, saying this has been the most harrowing experience for him in his almost twenty years of working as a seafarer.

“Bawal kami lumabas ‘dun. Paikut-ikot lang kami sa loob ng barko. Nagluluto pa rin ako noon para sa mga kasamahan kong Pinoy," he recounted.

(We were not allowed to go out so we just roamed inside the ship. I still cooked food for my fellow Filipino crew.)

He added they were the only ones who took this long to be repatriated, as the others have been sent home as early as just one month after the ship was grounded because of assistance from their respective embassies.

According to Fernandinco, the Philippine Embassy in Athens had told them they can be sent home any time they want, but their claims for back wages would be forfeited. The Filipino crew refused the Embassy’s offer.

No help even from agencies here

His family in the Philippines also tried asking for assistance from pertinent agencies here, to no avail.

“Pumunta kami sa OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration). Ang inalok lang sa amin, livelihood assistance pero hindi raw sila makatulong sa pagpapauwi sa kanila," his daughter Sholem said.

(We went to OWWA to ask for assistance. We were offered livelihood assistance but they said they couldn’t help in the repatriation of the Filipino workers.)

Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy, scored the Embassy for its alleged inaction on the plight of the seafarers, saying they would not have been repatriated were it not for the efforts of Filipino communities in Greece.

“The workers were very frustrated. It seemed the Embassy was better with press releases than with concrete action. They had been unresponsive," she lamented.

Four more Filipino crew are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, Sana said.

Fernandinco meanwhile said that despite his ordeal, he is planning to work overseas again as a seafarer.

“Pahinga muna ako ngayon, pero handa naman akong magbarko ulit (I’ll take a break for now, but I’m willing to go back to being a seafarer again)," Fernandinco said.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

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