As part of its commitment to IMO to facilitate crew changes and achieve key worker designation for seafarers, the Philippines Department of Transportation has activated ports to serve as crew change hubs in different parts of the country.
The initial crew change hubs in the Ports of Manila and Subic have been followed by Port Capinpin in Bataan, and recently the Ports of Cebu and Davao, according to data provided by The Britannia P&I Club. The Port of Batangas remains to be activated.
The government has set up One-Stop-Shops to facilitate crew changes in these ports, which may be subject to different regulations and protocols as determined in coordination with the local government units concerned.
In response to the overwhelming crew change crisis that evolved due to COVID-19 restrictions globally, the Philippines opened the first “Green Lane” in July, in order to facilitate free movement and safe travel across borders for seafarers in Asia.
Philippines, the second largest supply country for the world’s seafarers, is among the 45 IMO Member States which have now designated seafarers as key workers, a major step in resolving the ongoing crew change crisis.