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Filipino seafarers from Northern Mindanaocan start using the Cagayan de Oro port crew change hub, the 12th such site in the country that was activated on May 31
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The hub is expected to cater to more than 26,000 seafarers from Northern Mindanao
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Crew change hubs have been set up across the country as part of measures to keep maritime operations going despite strict anti-COVID health protocols
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The hubs process documents to facilitate the movement of on-signers and off-signers, seafarers who are either about to board ship or go on shore leave
Cagayan de Oro Port has been activated as the country’s 12th crew change hub and is expected to accommodate the more than 26,000 seafarers in Northern Mindanao.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) Maritime Sector activated the one-stop-shop (OSS) for seafarers at Cagayan de Oro port on May 31.
Crew change hubs have been set up across the country as part of government measures to keep maritime operations going despite strict health protocols being enforced amid the COVID-19 pandemic, DOTr said in a statement.
The hubs process documents needed to facilitate the movement of both on-signers and off-signers, seafarers about to board ship and those on shore leave, in recognition of their vital contribution to the country’s economy.
The Philippines is one of 13 countries which committed to the International Maritime Organization in 2020 to facilitate crew changes and achieve key worker designation for seafarers during the pandemic.
The new crew change hub joins Ports of Manila, Currimao, Poro Point in La Union, Subic, Capinpin in Orion, Bataan; Batangas, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Palawan and Zamboanga.
The Cagayan de Oro crew change hub will be under the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro.
The hub is expected to benefit more than 26,000 registered seafarers in Northern Mindanao. The facility is in one of the busiest ports in the country catering to various shipping activities and services.
The crew change hubs are staffed by the following government agencies: DOTr and its attached agencies – Office for Transportation Security, Cebu Port Authority, PPA, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority; Department of Health, Bureau of Quarantine, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, Department of Foreign Affairs, Overseas Workers Welfare Organization, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Office of Civil Defense, and various provincial and local government units.
