MANILA – The DOTr Maritime Sector, consisting of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Cebu Port Authority (CPA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), is gearing up to host the virtual One-Stop Shop (OSS) for Seafarers’ first-anniversary celebration of crew change operations in the Philippines on Thursday, 07 October 2021.

Heeding the call of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address the global crew change crisis, the national government organized crew change hubs and opened the country’s borders to international vessels. Since its establishment in 2020, the OSS has facilitated numerous crew change operations that were essential for the unhampered flow of supply chains across the globe. More importantly, the conduct of crew change also helped ensure that seafarers who were stranded at sea were repatriated and replaced with fresh crew members.

The six established crew change hubs across the country, found in Subic, Bataan, Manila, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao are operated by 24 government agencies that are mandated to provide their services to seafarers under the Philippine Green Lane Program.

Through this anniversary celebration, the OSS aims to honor the tireless efforts of key public and private partners and OSS personnel who have successfully assisted more than 4,000 ships and more than 500,000 foreign and Filipino seafarers.

Aside from celebrating the first year anniversary of crew change operations in the country, the event will also be an opportunity to launch the Filipino Seafarers COVID-19 Vaccination Portal and the Crew Change Website. In addition, selected OSS members and partners will be recognized. An inspiring message from Secretary of Transportation Art Tugade will also be featured during the online event.

The DOTr Maritime Sector invites Licensed Manning Agencies (LMAs), seafarer associations, and other maritime entities and organizations to witness the celebration of this momentous milestone.