16 September 2013 - Following his successful official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) on September 09 and 10, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario attended the Third High Level Public-Private Counter-Piracy Conference in Dubai from September 11 to 12 where he addressed the participants after the opening ceremony.
In his remarks, Secretary del Rosario stated that being the largest supplier of seafarers in the world, the Philippines is particularly sensitive to a maritime piracy incident as there is a good chance that a Filipino seafarer may be involved. The Philippine government is aware of the human, social, and economic repercussions that a maritime piracy incident may have on the seafarer and his/her family especially their health and well-being.
With one-fourth of the total seafarers in the world coming from the Philippines, the Foreign Secretary said that the Philippine government has taken steps to ensure that seafarers are prepared in case a piracy incident occurs.
The Secretary cited that “Every seafarer deployed by the Philippines is given a comprehensive orientation on what to do in the event of an attack. They are advised to keep calm, cooperate when captured, and to stay alert at all times. We also take great care in keeping the families updated every step of the way. My own people reach out to these families and make sure that they get all the information and counselling that they need.”
Secretary del Rosario also said that the Philippines supports the various international and regional efforts by countries and international bodies aimed at preventing and suppressing piracy and armed robbery against ships such as the Combined Maritime Forces stationed in Bahrain and is composed of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and other international forces.
The Philippines as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a variety of best practices in order to mitigate the impact of piracy on its direct victims, the seafarers. Foreign Affairs Secretary warned the body that despite all these efforts in reducing maritime incidents, the international community should not be complacent as there is still much to be done in addressing the problem of piracy worldwide.
The Conference aims to continue building awareness about the humanitarian and economic cost of piracy, to inject a new momentum in search of an effective and enduring solution to piracy through collaboration, and encourage a comprehensive and inclusive approach including enhancing industry-government cooperation for joint strategies on sustainable long-term solutions.
Secretary del Rosario headed the Philippine delegation composed of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Jesus I. Yabes, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs Petronila P. Garcia, Philippine Ambassador to the U.A.E. Grace Relucio Princesa, Philippine Consul General in Dubai Frank Cimafranca, Navy Capt. Rosauro Sarmiento, Director Jennifer Dingal, and Legal Officer Emily Descallar at the Conference. END