DMW sees thousands of ship jobs in three months

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan Ople. INQUIRER.net file photo

Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople on Friday said there would be at least 5,000 job vacancies for seafarers in the next three months.

Ople said local manning agencies and cruise line companies had plans of hiring thousands of Filipino seafarers in various positions at top shipping firms.

Ople said the continuing conflict in Ukraine, a large source of seafarers, have led shipowners to look for workers in other countries.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) pointed out the high demand for Filipino workers in the cruise line industry, where Filipinos comprise about a fifth of seafarers globally. The cruise line industry has bounced back from the impact of COVID-19 restrictions with about 74 percent of cruise lines back in operation last year. The industry also projects a 58-percent increase in new passenger volume in the coming months. —KATHLEEN DE VILLA