MARINA AFTER FOUR YEARS

Ran across Captain Betts in Face book, and is asking on what happened on my situation. I told him  that everything is going fine though there is little progress made and they gave no such detail over what date will exactly I join, for now the only detail I could give Capt. Betts is that I'm currently renewing my Seaman's Book and that’s about it. He mentions something about "Dale", though I'm not exactly sure if this is a name of the ship or a name of the "joining port"

Anyway I'd be reporting to career shipping as soon as I sort this seaman's book  first , and see what happens next. God !!! Really hate going back again and talk again to Mr. Ho .

Monday March 04 2013  …..

Already done with the stuff I need to bring for the renewal of my Seaman's book , had with me NBI clearance (check) , My old BST certificate (check) , Old SIRB (check), Some passport size pictures (check) , and of course some money (TRIPLE check).  Had it all pack on my old back pack bag.

Step 1 Fill out the form, Yeah cocksure !!

Same old strategy as what I did last time , Unfortunately I barely remember it anymore since it was last four years ago. The Hint I knew is that I should come early and that the rules in renewing a Philippine Seaman's Book is the same rules applied on getting an NBI. The only difference is the place where I would eventually get it.

Went early and it was about a quarter to 7am in the morning when I got to the MARINA office in the corner of TM Kalaw Street, and as expected the people in the queue line  was way less than it was with the NBI Clearance , As in 80 percent less. Had no trouble in getting a number and the queue ticket number I got was "58" after that, then I went to the usual steps in filling out the form and going to the waiting area.

Last step ID picture, Get me out of this chicken shit outfit!!

While waiting I got to talk with a 3rd engineer coming from some PSTC company in ermita building, I learned from him that renewing a seaman's book now takes 15 days before being released and that most (if not all )companies now require more than at least 14 months and up validity (for a seaman's book, and in my case Career requires me to have at least 18 months validity.)  

HELL !!! 15 days ??? , why the fuck would marina delay issuance of it , I mean it happened before that they could issue SIRB's in a few hours to sailors, Why the cock's name would they be delaying it ???  Really frustrating on my end since I'm in a bit of a hurry ,Yes patience would be nice but I don’t have a lot of time and it would be easier if M.A.R.I.N.A. would go back on its old system especially if Career Shipping is a bit of rushing me. Marina !! Bah! department of cocksuckers !!!

Near about 10am when I was called to the Evaluators desk and she immediately check my documents and see if everything is in order, Bad part is that I didn’t knew that they only needed the xerox copy of the NBI clearance and I had to go back to the Xerox machine located outside and had it photocopied. Good thing thought the Evaluator wasn't that bitchy to me compared to the other sailors she handled before and after passing my photocopy, I was told to hand out 25 PHP for documentary stamps and off I go the next step. Next step was of course the payment and I just handed showed off my application paper and handed out the 800 PHP and off I go again, This time I had to go back again on the booth to get my 200 PHP back (I handed out 1000 PHP ) I forgot my change - my bad with this one.

Last part of the step is the "image capture" ( ID mug shot Picture taking for short) , and had to pay another 25 PHP for rent on the White Polo shirt that will used for the ID. Afterwards I was handed out a small slip of paper indicating that the release of my Seaman's book will be on the 11th of March. Ok march 11th got it !! After that back again to Career and see how it goes there.

Outside I decided to stop over in Kalaw street and see how are things doing there for sailors , well Kalaw street isn't exactly as lively as it was during Mayor Atienza's time. I still see a few hundred sailors all pack up and standing and just simply hanging out. I saw a huge yellow poster there of "ANGKLA" hanging (some about a sort of political party for sailors) and the usual Deck Cadets carrying small placards with information saying that they need this kind of crew blah blah, on their company and so. I decided to stop by and check if there is this little newspaper publication being sold in kalaw several years ago called "Tinig ng Marino" (Voice of a mariner) by Nelson Ramirez, Apparently I found none.

After my very brief visit I took the LRTA -2 train and went to SM Marikina mall and Robinsons Mall to buy a few clothes and hang out. I bought a set of semi formal clothes (white polo shirt and black formal trousers ) from chancellor boutique and a set of casual clothes from Bench (Red Colored Polo T-shirt and Denim Pants). A new Case Logic Backpack and a small pouch for my KATA Mini Tablet. 

SM Marikina , Picture taken from the connecting over pass

White Polo Shirt From chancellor , I think this clothes will be handy someday

Yum Yum hahaha , childish of me but yeah sometimes junk food is a necessity :-)

The Set of formal Clothes i bought from chancellor , pretty typical right ???

The Red Polo T-Shirt and Denim Pants i bought at Bench for my civilian summer outfit, cute right ?? 

I guess I just needed a few upgrades again for the civilian clothes and besides that I technical don’t have clothes meant for warm summer weather. Wouldn't hurt if I buy a few new clothes meant for it right ?!

(EXTRA INFO)

M.A.R.I.N.A. By the way stands for (Philippine) Maritime Industry Authority , a government agency created during the 1970's to handle all maritime shipping related affairs particularly on Filipino Sailor matters like documents and stuff (Seaman's book). Below 1970's it was the coast guard who handle such affairs unfortunately the Philippine Government Figured out that Coast Guard was too lazy in such affairs and would be better off doing something else.

Find out more on their website www.marina.gov.ph

S.I.R.B. means seafarers identification and record book , In plain English it means a "Seaman's Book" . Basically it’s a small booklet the size of a Philippine Passport and even looks the same, and has even the same functions of it. A detailed description of a sailors travel (served ship) history.

This is the picture of my SIRB Book (Seaman's Book)

Kalaw Street in manila, near luneta is an Iconic place for Filipino sailors. This palace is simply a Side walk part of street and a hangout for Filipino sailors, no less that a hundred meters or so and houses a few employment booth

ANGKLA (THE NEW POLITICAL PARTY, DUH ????)

"Angkla" a new political party said to represent (sailor) Maritime Sector  in the government, Personally I don’t see any difference if this political party would make any changes at all on the working standards of Filipino sailors. Basically I think this group doesn’t have all the answers and they are just simply not that good enough to save thousands of Filipino Deck Cadets from slavery like conditions.

Onboard a ship , Harmonious Working relations to me means having a bigger knife than your Co-workers, Filipino's have told me that ! My bosun taught me that ! and that's the way we do it here ! and uhm ...... has pretty much worked so far in life :D

Heck for all I knew most Filipino sailors especially Deck Cadets are languishing from unemployment and lack of opportunities because elitist schools like PMMA and MAAP are taking all the working employment opportunities meant for Deck Cadets that graduated on private maritime colleges. The end result is too many people and not enough opportunities to go around with - A choking point.

Deck Cadets who are lucky enough to get employed languish on terrible working conditions in the domestic fleet and are paid very little (and some cases not at all) , they are heavily exploited and taken advantage of.

Fortunate Deck Cadets who have enough money or influence, get boarded on foreign trading ships - sweet as it may sound,  however they are heavily maltreated and picked on by Sociopath Sailors coming from PMMA and MAAP.

Either way a simple Filipino Deck Cadet has no way to turn, and basically leads him / her to one shit hole and down to the other. They wanted to "UPLIFT MARITIME EDUCATION STANDARDS" eh ??? Then they should start first on how to abolish slavery like conditions on deck cadets, how's that ?!

In Fairness to this political party, I think this party is a least a bit popular compared to other Political "Maritime sector themed" parties that came and went thru the years. However this political organizations effectiveness is still yet to be tested.

However Besides if you read correctly on their website www.angkla.org their platforms are basically pointless and doesn’t not differ from goals meant by other Filipino Sailor organizations out there. 

Somehow I'm saying this because I'm no longer the bright optimistic youth as I once was several years ago. My enthusiasm has been replaced slowly with doubt and pessimism , probably because I'm disenchanted on this so called "maritime" profession. I no longer crave this career as a path to an endless opportunity, I only view it as a hollow dead end career with a lot to sacrifice and little to gain. Seriously how can I be enthusiastic with this career when I perceived it as nothing more than a "Construction job in a floating object in the middle of the ocean" , The only difference is that its being masqueraded as a pseudo quasi militarist job, (no thanks to our beloved psychopathic Brethren sailors  from Philippine Merchant Marine Academy and Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific. ) and that the pay check is really good.


Before i end this entry , i saw this video over youtube. Probably its a rap song (i hate those songs) but the thing that caught my attention is that its has something to do with the Filipino sailor