27 June 2013 – Filipino seafarers have one more reason to remember Lisbon in Portugal aside from the pleasant weather and famous sights of the beautiful city. On June 25, the Philippine Embassy made a special visit to the cruise ship M/V Azura while the ship was on a a day-long stopover at Lisbon Port. The visit was timed in connection with the international celebration of the Day of the Seafarer.

Upon arrival, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier received a warm welcome from ship officials and was escorted to the bridge where he paid a courtesy call on Captain Julian Burgess, Master of the M/V Azura. The Master thanked the Ambassador for making the extra effort of going to the ship to visit the Filipino crew who he said were very hardworking and dependable. Ambassador Lhuillier expressed his gratitude to him and the company for constantly looking after the welfare of the Filipino crew.

After the call, the Ambassador made the rounds on the ship to greet the Filipino crew on the occasion of the International Day of the Seafarer, a special tribute for seafarers set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on June 25 of every year. Filipino seafarers numbering around 260 compose majority of the crew of the MV Azura.

The Ambassador acknowledged the valuable contribution of Filipino seafarers to the national economy and to the global maritime community. He reiterated the Philippine Government´s commitment to promote their welfare and reach out to them. Ambassador Lhuilllier recalled that close to 6,000 Filipino seafarers were able to register for the 2013 National Elections through Embassy´s Akyat-Barko campaign last year.

Part of the Embassy`s visit was the distribution of advisories on HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment, drug mules and guidelines on departure formalities for international-bound passengers from the Philippines. The Embassy took advantage of the visit to remind seafarers about the problems on drug abuse and trafficking in conjunction with the celebration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking last June 26. Before leaving, Ambassador Lhuillier handed out tourism brochures and encouraged the seafarers to invite their guests and passengers to come and visit the Philippines. END