JK: Tell us about yourself.

My name is Bobby and I'm from Olongapo City in the Philippines. I am 46 years of age and married with two children.

JK: Your time on ship

I have been a seafarer for 20 years now (18 years with the same company). I am a First Engineer and currently I am serving a 3-month contract.

JK: A typical day for you onboard the vessel

As soon as I finish breakfast I plan my work. I make sure that my daily plans do comply with the standard set rules.

JK: Your Positive Experiences

Personally, the whole seafaring experience of the last 20 years has been a positive experi-ence for me. It has enriched my life in many ways despite the typical hardships faced by seafarers. It feels like I've been privileged to meet people from many different nations and establish contacts .

JK: Your Negative Experiences

I think its really unfortunate that the post 9/11 world has made things extra hard for sea-farers in some ports around the world. Security concerns have made life unnecessarily complicated. Racial discrimination is another thing that saddens me. Lets say, if you are European or Russian you are given a better rate even though you're a lower rank then I am. What is even more annoying is the assumption that because you are from a certain background you know more. As a professional seaman, I keep quiet, do my job and accept what is given to me. After all, I have signed a contract! Its one of those “inconvenient truths”. Its also a justice issue, I must add.

JK: What do you look for when visiting a seafarers' centre?

When I was younger I thought of different things, a bit of fun. You know what I mean? Over the years, I realise my attitude has changed. Now, the first thing I want to do is to visit the Chapel and express my gratitude. You know, I am still healthy and working. I am always thankful to God for that. I also know that the beer is cheap in here (laughs). I also look forward to using the facilities to contact my wife and children.

JK: Any other comments?

One of the things every Filipino seafarer is certain of is that they trust people at seafarer centres more than ship agents or other government agents. If I had a serious problem while in Australia I would call a seafarers' centre before the Philippine High Commission. That's how much we trust you guys. When I retire I will probably volunteer at a seafarers' centre.

John Kewa

This section is to keep us updated on Numbers and statistics happening around Australia. One statistic that is of interest to National Office is the number of seafarers that use our facilities every month. Statistics sheets have been produced from the National Office and those Centres needing a copy only need to call Ted or myself and we will email it to you. Although quality is always more important than quantity, for the National Office, it is also important to keep these figures so that future ideas can be planned by use of these stats.

Figures from 2007