Harborscope is now three years old

Harborscope is now three years old.

At the start we could not imagine that our paper will last this long in a highly-competitive shipping and manning industries with so many established newspapers already.

But our sacrifices paid off. With many sleepless nights when we are beginning, with undoubting investors we have in our fold and a hard working editorial and marketing people, this paper now believes that we are here to stay.
The past three years or so have been a hurdle for almost all of us in this paper. We started at the time the entire world is on the brink of a financial collapse making it even harder for us to survive, but we did.

Now that the world has started to get on its feet and slowly mop the negative effects of the global financial crunch, there is also no question that there is no other way the world will go but up… and we want to tag along.

Just like when we started, we are not bending our commitment to the shipping, manning, crewing and transport industries that we will be their partner through thick and thin.

Harborscope will also never shirk to report the development in these industries particularly issues that will have a negative sweeping effect to nation-building.

Now that we are once more entering a new era in our publication, we assure our readers and advertisers that they will have an improved and innovative paper.

Once again, let me thank all the people who believed in our principles. I need not mention any name as this space would not enough to accommodate all your identities, for without your help, this paper has long been gone. In the next three years, we are praying that you will still be onboard while we continue to have more people join us in our crusade to a better Philippine maritime industry. Just like a saying goes, ‘the more, merrier’.

Most of all, we give our sincerest appreciation to our Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving us the courage, wisdom, and knowledge to hurdle all the uncertainties in our chosen field. To God be the Glory…

Harborscope and the LSM Conference…

Come November, the Philippines will once again host the biggest gathering of manning professionals and decision makers in the 11th LSM Manning Conference.

The LSM is one of the avenues that almost all major players in the manning and crewing industries worldwide come together and discuss issues on how to upgrade not only the competencies of their businesses and vessels but most especially the competitiveness of those people running it.

The Philippines, being the biggest source of maritime manpower onboard the global shipping fleet, it is only fitting that such a gathering be held here.

Just like the earlier conferences, the Philippines will once again boast of its accomplishments in the manning and crewing sectors to its foreign counterparts and once again will guarantee that every Filipino boarding international-going fleet–including the local fleet–are competitive and can withstand the strong waves of the high seas.

But has the Philippines really done its job in maintaining, if not expanding, its grip as the number one source of seafarers in the world?

Hosting the biggest gathering of decision makers is not enough to guarantee that the country will not be overtaken by other nationalities but more concrete measures must be put into place to ensure that the Philippines only produces not only competent but the best seafarers the world has ever seen.

Yes, the Philippines may lack the tonnages to house their own seafarers but we have shown time and again that Filipinos are one of the best seafarers. If only Government can show its full support to the development of the country’s still-at-berth maritime industry, we could even be on higher grounds and almost beyond reach by any of our nearest counterparts.

For sure, at the LSM, they will once again discuss the pressing issue on the shortage of officers, and being the top supplier of seafarers what can we show them that we are in the right track to plug such looming gap to guarantee that there would not be any delays in the movement of vessels globally.

Sad to say, however, it seems that the Philippines is content in just hosting an event to make its mark in the industry instead of making the right moves to ensure that no other nationality can stamp-out the Philippines as the top and best supplier of seafarers worldwide.

With the installation of a new Government, on the other hand, we could consider it as the much-needed shot-in-the-arm as this could be our last chance to salvage our tag as the top supplier and we should be fast but prudent as any wrong move will spell disaster considering the declining qualities of our seafarers even in our only very distinct advantage, our proficiency in the English language.

I know that the Philippines will not surrender and just accept that it already reach the twilight of being the supplier of seafarers in the world. But unless its leaders gather their wits, a little flare would bump us to oblivion.

Zenaida P. Magnial
Managing Editor