‘Demand rising for Filipino crewmen for Europe’s yachts’

THE demand for Filipino crews to man privately-owned yacht in the European region is growing.

Belinda C. Wong, Eurasian Maritime Corp. president, gave this observation during an interview last week.

Eurasian Maritime Corporation is a Cebu-based personnel recruitment agency supplying manpower to privately-owned yacht in Europe specifically areas South of France and Greece.

Wong said wealthy people in these areas weren’t affected by the current economic crisis in the region and were continuing operating their yachts for private cruises with their family or their guests.

“Despite the crisis, the demand for private yacht crew continued to increase and Filipinos are among their most preferred crew because we are hardworking and we speak English well,” said Wong.

The firm has started recruiting people in preparation for deployment during the summer months – from May to June – when demand for their services peak.

For yacht operations, they usually need people for stewards and stewardesses, engineers, deckhands, motormen, and for laundry and housekeeping positions.

“We have been supplying manpower for over 40 regular customers since we acquired the company in 2009, said Wong. “And every year the demand is increasing to an average of 16 to 50 crew men for every yacht,” said Wong.

Since 2009, the firm has deployed over 100 Filipinos mostly in Europe with the crews earning at 1,800 euros every month or roughly P90,000 at P50 per euro rate.

“They get contracts for five months and one month rest while others get more like 11 months aboard and one month vacation,” she said.

“Unlike cruise ships however, their contracts with yacht owners are continuous depending on the performance of the employee. Since Filipinos are known hard workers, we always get our contracts renewed.”

She also cited the stiffer competition in the recruitment business with businessmen from other countries going into the business such as China, Indonesia, Thailand and Nepal. /Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap