Arts & Culture (07/14/21)

July 14, 2021 | 12:01 am

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Art Inspires series at the Met

THE METROPOLITAN Museum of Manila presents the second series of Art Inspires titled “Heritage, Identity, and Nationhood” on July 17 (10-11 a.m.) via Zoom. It will feature a series of interviews with artists, curators, scholars, and writers, with a focus on the artistic process and experience in reference to an artist’s work or body of works featured in ongoing exhibitions at the museum. The second installment begins with an online screening of the experimental collaborative video Mother Load by Josephine Turalba and Angel Velasco Shaw, followed by a conversation with the artists and Mercedes Tolentino, the curator of the exhibition, “In Full View: The Metropolitan Museum of Manila Collection.” To register, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkfuCpqTspHdKPsTMAcFMAlaYqQC7x09Xw. For more information, visit https://metmuseum.ph/.

‘Dispersion’ at Art for Space Gallery

ARTISTS Ian Inoy and Pat Frades are showing their works in the exhibit “Dispersion” at the Art for Space Gallery. Having their own voices and own art processes, the artists created artworks that explore their own expressions of individuality and identity. Mr. Inoy merges found objects and junk as his unique way of expressing his identity in his abstract and heavily textured works. Ms. Frades uses clay as her medium. Her style elaborates a combination of colorful mushrooms and coral-like elements. The Art for Space Gallery is at the ground floor of the Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/artforspaceph/.

Several exhibits at West Gallery

WEST gallery has several exhibitions currently on view until July 31. One of these is Anton Mallari’s “Sibol,” his new collection of oil portraits that imagine a springing forth of change or new tidings. Mr. Mallari’s traditional portrait style shows a different, almost nostalgic side in this series, with his feminine subjects and botanical motifs awash with bolder floral patterns in different states of bloom and opacity. “Sibol” retains the artist’s noir theme, while also adding softer colors and bolder gold linework, as if to signify a change of air or seasons. Rocelie V. Delfin’s “Kapaligiran” is composed of a series of nine pen and ink images of houses made during quarantine which reflect the isolation she experienced throughout those weeks. Six larger drawings depict idyllic forests occupied by tropical houses remote from one another. Also on view are Lynyrd Paras’ exhibit “Love is Greater than Fear of Death,” and Johanna Helmuth’s “Hereafter.” The gallery is at 48 West Ave., Quezon City. Visits by appointment only, on Mondays to Saturday. To make an appointment, contact the gallery at 3411-0336.

Nat’l dance qualifiers highlight SEA hip-hop

SOUTHEAST Asian hip-hop culture is spotlighted in the national qualifiers of Redefining Elements: A Hip-Hop Pageant, a competition that aims to reformulate the approach to the popular genre in terms of talent, knowledge, technique and engagement in the society. A collaborative platform built by the academic and hip-hop communities, the friendly showdown investigates the diverse effects of the discipline on the youth, both locally and in neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Hosted by Benilde Experimental Dance and the Dance Program of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts, the champion will represent the country in the international competition. Redefining Elements: A Hip-Hop Pageant will go live via Zoom and Facebook on July 24, 5 to 7 p.m. Audience may secure their tickets for P100, which allows them to vote for their favorite dancers and help them win a special prize. Register at https://tinyurl.com/bk3h7bu5. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/BenildeExDance.

2-year archaeological project in Northern Cebu

AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL survey and excavation have started in San Remigio and other parts of Northern Cebu as part of the efforts to preserve the Cebuano heritage. The two-year Northern Cebu Archeological Project, a joint initiative of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) and Aboitiz Foundation, in collaboration with the University of San Carlos in Cebu aims to establish a protocol and methodology for systematic archaeological studies in Cebu. Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. granted the NMP a P2-million donation in support of its archeological heritage preservation initiatives. Through the project, a template for continuing studies and resources to archive and preserve data of archaeological sites and landscapes will be developed. The primary objective is to develop a geospatial database to record all archeological sites and resources in Cebu through the use of state-of-the-art archeological methods and applications. It also aims to produce a comprehensive catalogue of archeological findings in Cebu especially those belonging to the Metal Age. This catalogue shall be a useful reference for further studies, for the development of a comprehensive preservation program, and for crafting sustainable information dissemination program through local and international publications. The two-year project is scheduled in four phases. Towards the last phase of the project, collected cultural resources will be shown publicly through an exhibition that will piece the stories of those sites in the forthcoming National Museum Central Visayas Regional Museum in Cebu.

Mo_Space holds 2 exhibits

MO_SPACE is opening two exhibits on July 17, which will run until Aug. 15. To be shown at the Main Gallery is Elaine Roberto-Navas’ “Something Of Everything In Everything,” and at Gallery 2, Katrina Bello’s exhibit “Drawing The Farthest Land.” For “Something Of Everything In Everything,” Ms. Roberto-Navas’ start from traces of photographs to paintings on canvas, each image a paean of philosophical musing that reveals the interconnectedness of things. In her latest exhibition, Katrina Bello uses soft graphite gestures on paper, tracing a journey in nature, as well as a trail through a migrant life, with works either gargantuan in scale, vast like a redwood forest or a wide-open sea, or a microcosm that fits in the palm. The two exhibits will be open for public viewing at MO_Space from July 17 to Aug. 15. The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For inquiries, contact the gallery by telephone at 8403-6620, by mobile at 0917-572-7970.

Spanish LGBTQIA+ short film series

THROUGHOUT July, the Instituto Cervantes Vimeo channel has been hosting a short-film series Te estoy amando locamente (Falling in love with you madly), featuring eight LGBTQIA+ stories by various Spanish filmmakers. Su (2019), a complex story about love and life, directed by Laia Foguet will be streamed on July 14 and 15 (link to the movie: https://vimeo.com/557679177). Meanwhile, the award-winning short film Víctor XX (Ian de la Rosa, 2015), will stream on July 17 and 18. The movie will be accessible through https://vimeo.com/557683845.

Philippines slips 7 spots in global ranking of fintech ecosystems

July 14, 2021 | 12:00 am

Auto Sales

July 14, 2021 | 12:00 am

VEHICLE SALES in June jumped 45% compared with the same month last year as the auto industry continues to grapple with the impact of the pandemic. Read the full story.

How PSEi member stocks performed — July 13, 2021

July 14, 2021 | 12:00 am

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

Peso climbs vs dollar as remittances grow in May

July 13, 2021 | 9:00 pm

THE PESO rebounded versus the greenback on Tuesday on positive remittances data and expectations for slower inflation in the United States.

The local unit closed at P50 per dollar, gaining 12 centavos from its P50.12 finish on Monday, based on data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

The peso opened the session at P50.30 versus dollar, which was already its weakest showing for the day. Meanwhile, its intraday best was at P49.95 versus the greenback.

Dollars exchanged rose to $801.5 million on Tuesday from $664.2 million on Monday.

The peso’s appreciation on Tuesday was backed by data showing continued growth in cash remittances, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said.

Cash remittances rose by 13.1% to $2.382 billion in May from $2.106 billion in the same month last year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported on Tuesday. Inflows for the first five months rose by 6.3% to $12.28 billion from $11.554 billion in the same period of 2020.

The central bank attributed the growth in cash remittances in the five-month period to higher inflows from the US, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, and Canada.

Meanwhile, a trader said the peso strengthened amid risk-on sentiment due to expectations of slower US inflation data.

The US consumer price index for June will be reported by the Labor department on Tuesday. It rose by 0.5% in May.

For Wednesday, Mr. Ricafort gave a forecast range of P49.85 to P50.10 per dollar, while the trader expects the local unit to move within the P49.90 to P50.10 band against the greenback. — L.W.T. Noble

PHL stocks drop as Fitch Ratings lowers outlook

July 13, 2021 | 9:00 pm

PSE-stocks — COURTESY OF PHILIPPINE STOCK EXCHANGE, INC.

STOCKS closed in the red on Tuesday after global debt watcher Fitch Ratings downgraded its outlook for the country.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) declined by 118.74 points or 1.71% to close at 6,795.13 on Tuesday, while the all shares index went down by 54.26 points or 1.27% to end at 4,215.76.

“The market gave up all its gains from the previous session which is proof that investors are anxious at current price levels,” AAA Southeast Equities, Inc. Research Head Christopher John Mangun said in an e-mail.

“This could have been a ripple effect of Fitch lowering the credit rating of the Philippines, and of fears that other credit rating agencies may do something similar,” COL Financial Group, Inc. Chief Technical Analyst Juanis G. Barredo said in a Viber message.

“A lower credit rating is expected to adversely affect our borrowing cost which is not welcome amid challenging times and a struggling economy,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said in a Viber message.

Fitch on Monday maintained its investment grade “BBB” credit rating for the Philippines but revised its outlook to “negative” from “stable,” citing the impact of the prolonged coronavirus pandemic.

The “negative” outlook means Fitch may downgrade the Philippines’ credit rating if it reverses reforms or departs from the prudent macroeconomic policy framework that leads to continued higher fiscal deficits. A weaker macroeconomic outlook over the medium term and “diminishing policy credibility” may also lead to a downgrade.

All sectoral indices closed in the red on Tuesday. Property shed 75.11 points or 2.25% to 3,250.84; holding firms lost 139.75 points or 2.01% to 6,811.72; financials went down by 23.15 points or 1.55% to close at 1,464.36; mining and oil shaved off 126.05 points or 1.28% to 9,704.85; industrials declined by 88.61 points or 0.91% to 9,580.39; and services inched down by 0.65 point or 0.04% to finish at 1,615.78.

Value turnover went up to P5.78 billion with 1.89 billion issues traded on Tuesday, from the P4.84 billion with 2.09 billion shares that switched hands the previous day.

Decliners beat advancers, 125 versus 66, while 51 names closed unchanged.

Net foreign selling surged to P1.03 billion on Tuesday from P205.18 million on Monday.

“Sideways movement with a downward bias is expected [on Wednesday] as many investors remain on the sidelines waiting for the market to establish a strong support area,” Philstocks Financial’s Ms. Alviar said. “Traders are also on the lookout for the next quarantine guidelines after July 15.”

COL Financial Group’s Mr. Barredo added that the market could consolidate.

“It swung into a corrective phase six days ago after seeing a high of 7,064 and now moves to test its first support at around 6,770 to 6,750,” he said. “This support would then be followed by a more important demand zone at 6,670.” — Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte

Yellow alerts declared twice on Luzon grid at midday Tuesday

July 13, 2021 | 8:59 pm

THE NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert Tuesday, citing the unavailability of over 1,500 megawatts (MW) due to four unplanned outages and reduced output at three plants.

When reserves fall below minimum levels, the system operator issues a yellow alert. The grid was under this status between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., and 12 p.m. and 1:10 p.m.

In a Viber message to reporters early Tuesday, the NGCP said four-fired coal plants with a total capacity of 1,458 MW went on forced outage. These include the 460-MW plant run by Quezon Power Philippines Ltd.; Unit 1 of a plant operated by GNPower Mariveles Energy Center Ltd. Co. which took 316 MW off the grid; Unit 2 of the Sem-Calaca Power Corp. plant which removed 300 MW; and a unit of a coal-fired plant in Pagbilao, Quezon which took out 383 MW.

Meanwhile, it added that three plants were operating on de-rated or reduced capacity during this period, removing 64 MW from the Luzon grid. TeaM Energy Corp.’s Sual Unit 2 accounted for 57 MW, while units 1 and 3 of Southwest Luzon Power Generation Corp. plant were de-rated by 7 MW.

Early in the afternoon, NGCP lifted the grid’s yellow alert status due to “low actual system demand.”

When the grid’s reserves dipped below ideal levels Tuesday, distribution utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said participants in the interruptible load program (ILP) expressed their willingness to voluntarily de-load from the grid.

“As of 1:00 p.m., 83 establishments or 52% from the total participants, with a load of 165.94 MW had committed to participate, if needed,” Meralco Vice-President and Head of Utility Economics Lawrence S. Fernandez told BusinessWorld.

The ILP was not activated, however, he said. “No participant was asked to de-load since the grid was not placed on red alert,” Mr. Fernandez added.

The ILP allows large power users with their own generating facilities to voluntarily not draw power from the grid when supply is tight. The Department of Energy works with distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to implement the program.

Asked to comment whether the yellow alert status could lead to higher power rates next month, Mr. Fernandez said it is still “too early to say.”

“This is the first yellow alert for the July supply month. In comparison, the preceding supply month was affected by three days of red alerts and one day of yellow alert,” he said.

Between May 31 and June 2, the Luzon grid was placed under a series of yellow and red alerts due to forced plant outages, thinning reserves and high temperatures.

Yellow alerts become red alerts if the supply-demand balance worsens, triggering rotating outages or brownouts. — Angelica Y. Yang

DTI’s Lopez calls for reduction of cost to shut down businesses

July 13, 2021 | 8:58 pm

TRADE SECRETARY Ramon M. Lopez said that expenses related to the closure of businesses should be reduced following complaints from companies.

The process for closing businesses should also be overhauled, he told One News Tuesday.

The current process for companies officially closing shop include seeking clearances from local government units and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and making payments if they are found to owe them.

“There should be a review. We have to revisit the procedure ng closure. Wala na nga, nagko-close ‘yung business, bankrupt na (It’s hard to impose these measures on businesses that have gone bust),” Mr. Lopez said.

The fees add to the expenses of closing businesses, he added, including payments to employees.

“We’ll have to discuss this with the BIR kasi alam ko doon maraming kailangang i-settle (that is the area that requires many things to be settled).”

Around 10% of surveyed businesses were not operating last month, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), based on a survey with 33,145 respondents.

The percentage of closed businesses fluctuates as restrictions are loosened or tightened. Around 16% of 24,087 businesses had closed operations in May.

Mr. Lopez had said that owners of companies that have stopped operating during the pandemic often switch to more profitable ventures.

Business name registrations at the DTI increased during the lockdowns. — Jenina P. Ibañez

2020 census results beginning to reflect RH promotion effort

July 13, 2021 | 8:47 pm

face-mask-Public Market — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

THE REPRODUCTIVE health (RH)program helped reduce unplanned pregnancies, judging from the results of the latest census, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Karl Kendrick T. Chua said.

“Right now what I can see from the initial data is there is progress in our reproductive health program: total fertility rate is falling, more women are more educated and are better managing their families, and the population growth is also falling,” he said in an online briefing Tuesday.

In its Census of Population and Housing for 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported the population at 109.035 million last year. In 2015, the population was 100.98 million.

This was equivalent to a 1.63% annual growth rate in the past five years, slower than the 1.72% seen in 2010-2015 and the 1.9% rate in 2000-2010.

Mr. Chua said the census will have to be analyzed further along with other statistics for a more definitive assessment of the RH program.

Commission on Population and Development Executive Director Juan Antonio A. Perez III said participation in family planning programs more than doubled to 8.1 million last year from 3.9 million previously.

Mr. Perez said the commission remains on track to reduce unplanned pregnancies next year. He added that the target is for family planning services to reach 1.5 million women, and to bring down the fertility rate to 2-2.5% by 2022.

“We are hoping that with the inclusion of family planning as part of the country’s recovery program, resources can be put into the program for a more intensified implementation to cover the remaining 1.5 million within the next two years,” he said in an e-mail Tuesday.

“The addition of population and family planning workers by LGUs (local government units) will go a long way in increasing the effort which can be facilitated by the increased budgets for LGUs from the (Supreme Court) Mandanas ruling,” he added.

The government adopted the National Program on Population and Family Planning (NPPFP) in 2019 as a major component of the Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law.

It aims to reduce unplanned and unwanted pregnancies by helping families plan the number of children they can support.

With an estimated budget of P10.435 billion between 2020 and 2022, the NPPFP aims to bring down fertility to the replacement rate of 2.1% — the average number of children per woman — by 2022, and increase the modern contraceptive prevalence rate to 65%.

“What is important is we are able to provide basic services to the people, to allow them to be healthy, so that they can finish school and get a good job, and improve the productivity of the country,” Mr. Chua added. — Beatrice M. Laforga

Policy, investment reform seen key to making farming sustainable; water management crucial amid scarcity

July 13, 2021 | 8:45 pm

THE SUSTAINABILITY of the food system will depend largely on policy and investment reform as well as a focus on key crops and water management, a senior economic adviser to the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Fermin D. Adriano said during the first leg of the National Food Systems Dialogue Tuesday that the priorities should be rice, coconut, yellow corn, fisheries, sugar, vegetables and selected fruits, as well as water supply management.

Citing the Food and Agriculture Organization, Mr. Adriano said a sustainable food system “delivers food security and nutrition for all in a way that will not compromise the economic, social, and environmental bases to generate food security and nutrition for future generations.”

“Success in these crops and agenda will reduce poverty, nutrition will be vastly improved, resulting in a dramatic increase in the overall welfare not only of the rural folk but also ordinary Filipino consumers,” Mr. Adriano said.

“We should focus on implementing trigger policies or focus areas which have the greatest ripple effect on other subsectors of the economy,” he added.

Mr. Adriano said that reform for the rice subsector is already underway with Republic Act (RA) No. 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law and should be sustained and defended amid claims that the law did not achieve its goals of lower rice prices and higher yields.

“Being the staple food of the Filipinos and (planted) to more than a fourth of the cultivable areas in the country, rice contributes a fifth of the gross value added (GVA) in Philippine agriculture. The Rice Tariffication Law must be sustained and defended,” Mr. Adriano said.

The law, signed in 2019, liberalized rice imports, which have to pay tariffs. It also created a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund to help modernize the rice industry.

Mr. Adriano said reform for the coconut subsector will soon be implemented with the release of the coconut levy fund as authorized by RA 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act.

“The poorest of the poor tillers are in this subsector and the crop is cultivated in around a fourth of the total farmlands in the country. However, its contribution to the agriculture GVA is only 4% during the last 10 years, thus resulting in widespread poverty among coconut farmers,” Mr. Adriano said.

Mr. Adriano said the development of yellow corn cannot be separated from the poultry, livestock, and fisheries subsectors since the crop is used as animal feed.

“Around 60% of the production cost of poultry, livestock, and fisheries (is accounted for by) feed. Without bringing down the cost of corn, production costs in the three subsectors will remain high and uncompetitive,” Mr. Adriano said.

Mr. Adriano said fisheries are be a cheap source of protein for consumers, while water supply management will ensure adequate quantities for agricultural production.

“The growing scarcity of fresh water will constrain agricultural activities and production. We should push for better water utilization, construction of water impounding facilities, and better waste governance systems,” Mr. Adriano said.

Mr. Adriano also pushed for initiatives in the sugar, vegetables, and fruits subsectors since these products can create jobs in the countryside and increase incomes.

“Sugar is used as an input for processed products, which can help generate more jobs in the countryside with the promotion of agricultural processing. Meanwhile, vegetable production does not require large farmlands to generate a decent income,” Mr. Adriano said.

The DA has set a 2.5% growth target for agriculture in 2021.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said in May that the value of production of the overall agriculture sector contracted 3.3% in the first quarter of 2021 with the livestock industry hit by the African Swine Fever outbreak. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Commercial scale possible in agriculture only if many small farms consolidate

July 13, 2021 | 8:44 pm

FARM CONSOLIDATION is expected to increase agricultural production by grouping together less efficient parcels of farmland into more efficient farms of commercial scale, according to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Agrarian Reform Undersecretary Bernie F. Cruz said during a recent webinar organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies that while there is an ongoing initiative to divide up collective certificates of land ownership awards (CCLOAs), farmers can also opt for farm consolidation to boost production.

The parcelization of land titles is part of an ongoing DAR initiative to issue individual land titles to farmer beneficiaries who were awarded CCLOAs under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

“There is a need to consider land consolidation for commercial production. Most of the lands distributed to farmers were haciendas that yield agricultural produce in large quantities. Hence, the individual distribution of these lands has (led to a breakdown in) commercial production,” Mr. Cruz said.

Mr. Cruz said ongoing initiatives are helping farmers participate in commercial production by improving market linkages and farmers’ competitiveness in the value chain while awaiting the parcelization of CCLOAs.

“DAR also coordinates with institutional partners that could assist in capital build up, management skills, and research and development,” Mr. Cruz said.

Galalan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative Chairman Marlon C. Talavera said agrarian reform beneficiary organizations (ARBOs) help farmers access credit and financial institutions.

However, Mr. Talavera said challenges faced by ARBOs include the lack of members qualified to lead the organization in the long run and the absence of mobile network towers, which hinders communication.

“The agriculture sector should involve science, business, and the arts in order to improve production, sustain operations, and modernize the industry. This is especially needed since our institutional market partners closed down their businesses due to the pandemic, thus affecting the demand for our produce,” Mr. Talavera said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

Shipping chaos here to stay with most seafarers unvaccinated

July 13, 2021 | 8:36 pm

GLOBAL VACCINATIONS of seafarers are going too slowly to prevent outbreaks on ships from causing more trade disruptions, endangering maritime workers and potentially slowing economies trying to pull out of pandemic slowdowns.

Infections on vessels could further harm already strained global supply chains, just as the US and Europe recover and companies start stocking up for Christmas. The shipping industry is sounding the alarm as infections increase and some ports continue to restrict access to seafarers from developing countries that supply the majority of maritime workers but can’t vaccinate them.

“It’s a perfect storm,” says Esben Poulsson, chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping that represents ship owners. “With this new Delta strain, there’s no doubt it’s setting us back and the situation is getting worse. Demand for products isn’t letting up, crew changes aren’t happening fast enough and governments continue to stick their heads in the sand.”

All signs now point to a worsening crisis on the oceans, just as the industry seemed to be emerging from months of port restrictions that hurt the ability of shipping firms to swap out crews and left hundreds of thousands stuck at sea for months. The risks were brought into focus by two recent events that interrupted essential ports and shipping routes.

In May, a sailor died and dozens of hospital workers in Indonesia were sickened with the Delta variant of COVID-19 after a ship with an infected Filipino crew docked. About the same time, global shipping was thrown into chaos after one of China’s busiest ports was shuttered for weeks because at least one dock worker was infected as part of a broader outbreak in Shenzhen.

Gard P&I, the biggest marine insurer among the industry’s more than dozen mutual liability associations, has seen a spike in claims for COVID-19 infections. There were more than 100 outbreaks monthly in April and May that struck vessels and offshore mobile units such as drilling platforms involving multiple sick seafarers in each case, according to Alice Amundsen, vice-president of people claims. During the peak of the pandemic in July-August 2020, Gard saw almost 80 outbreaks on vessels and offshore units that infected some 160 people, she said.

“It’s a little bit like a fire that is glowing and it could quickly turn into a firestorm again,” said Rene Piil Pedersen, managing director of AP Moller-Maersk A/S in Singapore. Even as more people get vaccinated, COVID will be around for years and there will still be outbreaks in ports and on ships, he said last month, calling on governments and industry to work together to protect seafarers and dock workers as essential employees supporting critical supply chains all over the world.

LIMITED VACCINATIONS
Despite efforts in the US and elsewhere to inoculate seafarers in ports, most are still largely dependent on their home countries for vaccinations, and more than half of the 1.6 million seafarers globally come from developing nations such as India, the Philippines or Indonesia, which are well behind most developed economies in vaccinations.

The lack of international coordination can be seen in the fact that there’s no estimate of how many seafarers have actually been vaccinated. That’s because there’s no one organization or company keeping track of the situation for all workers across various companies, ships and ports.

The International Chamber of Shipping estimates only 35,000-40,000 seafarers — or just 2.5% of the global pool — are vaccinated. However, more than 23,000 seafarers had been jabbed in the US with the help of various charities, and China’s Cosco Shipping Holdings Co. said last month that all seafarers who are onshore and are fit for vaccinations have been inoculated.

India has kicked off inoculation programs for its more than 200,000 seafarers, but Poulsson and ship managers, including Wilhelmsen Ship Management, say the drive needs momentum. As of May, roughly 14% of India’s seafarers had received a single dose of the vaccine, and 1% had received both doses, according to the Hindu Business Line, citing an industry estimate.

Many seafarers are having trouble procuring their second dose of vaccines since that is often left to the discretion of local clinics, according to Chirag Bahri, director of regions at International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network in India.

“The government’s put something on paper to say they’ve made seafarers essential workers, but they are not being prioritized for vaccinations,” Bahri said. “Without a second dose, they really can’t get on a ship.”

SHIPPERS BUY VACCINES
In the Philippines, several firms including Maersk have said they’re working with the government to procure shots for their workers. While seafarers get priority access, vaccines are in short supply, with several cities around the capital region of Manila halting vaccination programs in recent days as supplies ran out.

Even if shots were available at home, they’re no good for workers already aboard ships, some of whom many not finish contracts until next year. About 99% of Filipino seafarers are unvaccinated, said Gerardo Borromeo, the Manila-based vice-chair of the ICS, who estimates it will take a year to inoculate them all.

That’s bad news for the shipping industry — the Philippines supplies some 460,000 seafarers, or 25% of the global maritime work force, according to the government. And until more seafarers from all over the world are vaccinated, infections will continue to spike.

The easiest solution would be for every port to have a clinic and offer vaccinations to all seafarers coming through, according to Ben Cowling, head of the University of Hong Kong’s department of epidemiology and biostatistics. So far, that’s not happening in many places, with only a handful of countries following the US lead in offering vaccinations to seafarers who come into ports, regardless of their nationality.

“For parts of the world where they are aiming to eliminate COVID, loopholes including maritime workers at container ports, are opportunities for the virus to break through,” said Cowling. “They have to eliminate the risk coming off container ships.”

And if the risk to seafarers isn’t eliminated, then further port shutdowns or outbreaks on ships taking them out of services will make it even harder and more expensive to get Christmas shopping done.

“We will run out of the available crew,” said Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Mark O’Neil, whose company oversees a crew pool of 18,000 people. “They would either have COVID, or they will be part of a COVID-infected crew, or they will not be vaccinated and therefore will not be allowed into a port. The number of vessels operating will be reduced.” — Bloomberg