Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. Del Rosario attended the 3rd High Level Public-Private Counter-Piracy Conference in Dubai, UAE last 11-12 September 2013. Secretary Del Rosario headed the Philippine delegation composed of DFA Undersecretary Jesus Yabes, DFA Assistant Secretary Petronila Garcia, Ambassador Grace Relucio Princesa, Consul General Frank Cimafranca, Navy Capt. Sarmiento, Director Jennifer Dingal, and Legal Officer Emily Descaller.
In his address during the opening day of the conference, Secretary Del Rosario stated that being the largest supplier of seafarers in the world, the Philippines is particularly sensitive to a maritime piracy incident and that the Philippine government is aware of the human, social, and economic repercussions a maritime piracy incident may have on the seafarer and his/her family especially their health and well-being.
With one-fourth of the total seafarers in the world coming from the Philippines, Secretary Del Rosario stated that the Philippine government has taken steps to ensure that seafarers are prepared in case a piracy incident occurs.
“Every seafarer deployed by the Philippines is given a comprehensive orientation on what to do in the event of an attack. We also take great care in ensuring that families of victims get all the information and counseling that they need.”
Aside from these steps, the Philippines supports the various international and regional efforts by countries and international bodies aimed at preventing and suppressing piracy and armed robbery against ships such as the Combined Maritime Forces stationed in Bahrain and is composed of EUNAVFOR, NATO, AMISOM, and other international forces. The Philippines, as a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), has also implemented a variety of best practices in order to mitigate the impact of piracy on its direct victims, the seafarers.
The Secretary also warned the international community against complacency and that despite all the efforts in reducing maritime incidents, there is still much to be done in addressing the problem of piracy worldwide.
The Conference aims to continue building awareness about the humanitarian and economic cost of piracy, to inject a new momentum in search of an effective and enduring solution to piracy through collaboration, and encourage a comprehensive and inclusive approach including enhancing industry-government cooperation for joint strategies on sustainable long-term solutions.