2 seafarers remember near-death experience

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

THE moment their vessel leaves port, seafarers brace themselves for a long journey that is constantly threatened by uncertain weather conditions.

But like in most high-risk professions, continuous training, presence of mind and safety precautions help them cope with the hazards of their job.

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Ronie Madranca’s and Ronie Maquilang’s strong faith in God also keep them calm when on board the commercial tugboats they operate as assistant captain and maintenance crew member, respectively.

“You have to consider the safety of your crew, make sure they are doing their job right and they are equipped with safety gears,” said Madranca, who has been working in the maritime industry for 14 years.

As the maritime industry observes the National Maritime Week from Sept. 26 to Oct. 1, the two highlighted the need for seafarers to upgrade their knowledge and master the skills required in their fields of expertise to prevent accidents at sea.

Although they admit their job is often considered the “dirty and unseen work” in maritime services, they think of it as the backbone of the shipping industry.

Maquilang and Madranca are part of the crew of Golden Star Manning and Ship Management Corp., which provides port services to passenger and cargo vessels and oil tankers that dock at the Cebu port.

They help operate fast ferries, rubber boats and tug boats that help the big vessels maneuver when docking to prevent any damage to the vessels and port facilities.

As operators of rescue boats, they also put their lives on the line to save seafarers who are in distress and prevent loss of lives when vessels run aground or encounter any accident.

“Og naay magparescue, buhaton gyud nimo tanang makaya nimo para makarespond ka dayon nga walay kinabuhi nga makalas (In a rescue operation, you do everything possible to save lives),” said Madranca.

They know what it’s like to be caught in a life-and-death situation, having been stranded at sea when they got in the path of a storm on their way back to the Philippines from Japan last year.

They consider unfavorable weather conditions and missing their families their biggest hurdle during the long journeys.

Maquilang remembered the perfect weather when they left Japan and crossed the Pacific Ocean going to Cebu, but a storm developed when they approached Philippine waters.

Their tug boat nearly got in the eye of the storm, but they were lucky to have been able to maneuver to a nearby island for shelter.

Although they receive weather updates from a fax machine and other communication devices, the unpredictability of the weather is always a setback.

“Kaning pagka-seafarer dili lalim kay imong kinabuhi ang nakataya. so importante gyud ang presence of mind ug ang diskarte gyud nimo sa pagdeal sa sitwasyon. Ug ang pinakaimportante, ang pag-ampo ug pagsalig ni God (As a seafarer your life is always at risk. Presence of mind and skills in dealing with a situation are important. But most important of all is your faith in God),” Maquilang said.