AOS in the Philippines
The Apostleship of the Sea was established in the
Philippines in 1958. The first office was in Manila with
work soon expanding to other ports. However work was more or
less suspended in the 1970s due to problems created by the
dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. In 1979 Mgr John O’Shea of
AOS Australia was invited to revive the apostolate in the
Philippines. Then in 1984, Cardinal Jaime Sin entrusted the
work to the Scalabrini Missionaries as part of their mission
to migrants.
Today there are two Stella Maris Seafarers’ Centres, in
Davao and Cebu, with a third planned for Manila. Thanks to
the interest and co-operation of several Bishops, AOS has
port chaplains assigned to the ports of Cagayan de Oro,
Iligan, Maasin, San Fernando, La Union, Iloilo and Batangas.
Many of these port areas have set up small Seafarers’
Service Centres for the convenience of visiting seafarers.
Advocacy / lobbying
AOS Philippines lobbies for better protection and more
benefits for seafarers, often working in co-operation with
government and non-government initiatives. Current issues of
concern include:
pressuring trade unions to allow seafarers to use medical
services available in local / regional state-owned hospitals
instead of obliging them to travel to union-owned hospitals
in Cebu and Manila
pressuring government maritime agencies to allow
qualification examinations in other cities, not exclusively
in Manila, especially as most Filipino seafarers come from
the outlying provinces.
Training and preparation
AOS offers a programme of seminars, workshops and
spiritual retreats for students in maritime institutes.
Filipino seafarers are helped to prepare for their difficult
life at sea by drawing on their faith and strength of
character. AOS also works with the government and with
manning agencies to provide orientation seminars. These help
seafarers to adjust to their new employment before their
first voyage.
Some of the AOS port chaplains and pastoral teams
organise ship visiting for students from local maritime
colleges. AOS arranges for final year students to make
“technical visits” to ships when they come into port. During
these visits, the ships’ officers give talks and demonstrate
equipment.
Onboard Christian communities
Onboard ship, seafarers are away from their family and
friends; their parish activities; and access to the
sacraments. Therefore the Church encourages the formation of
“onboard Christian communities”. AOS Philippines trains and
supports seafarers who show qualities of devotion and
leadership. Onboard ship, they conduct activities such as
religious gatherings, prayer groups and Bible readings. Some
seafarers are also appointed as extraordinary ministers of
the Eucharist.
Families
AOS port chaplains greatly value working with
organisations of seafarers’ wives. Some of these groups
promote self-help and income-generating projects. Others
provide a much appreciated volunteer service to the
seafarers’ centres. Groups may be organised according to
residential areas, parishes, or the shipping companies
employing their husbands. All such groups are drawn together
by the need for mutual support, friendship, guidance and by
their common concerns. |