Hubby and Wifey's Blog

Seaman.. What is seaman for us? Others said that seaman is seaman loloko and seamaniiwan. Sounds funny but that’s what they call us. Why? Because when we arrived at the port there are plenty girls’ waiting for us but that was before. They wait for our money to spend to them. Of course we spend it like a million dollar man not knowing we already spend too much for a night. Kayo nga ang makulong sa barko ng 2 weeks to 1 month na di nakakakita ng tao. Kayo kayo lang for sure gimik ang habol ninyo sa port which seamen do. Now all of the night life of a seamen are already over. There is ISPS code; it’s a security in port that applies all over the word. So the one million dollar man is over because there's no more life night for us, no more girls. We can enjoy and spend our time going to the mall. That’s the only left for our privileged specially tanker boys. I belong to a tanker ship; I already have a 26 months experience (2 contracts). Yup we all know that the salary of a seaman is over the edge. Much higher on the workers here in Philippines. We can buy a car in one contract (10 months) but it depends on the rank of a seaman. Other knows that all seamen have the same work on board but the truth is every seaman has different work on board. There are Deck department who navigate the ship. Preparing papers and maintenance of the ship. There are Engine department who is in charge on maintenance machinery on board the vessel. We do have a rank on board so we can distinguish if we are ratings and officers. Ratings and officers have very different life. If we apply to the military the enlisted personnel are the ratings and the officer is the officer on board. Officer have a higher salary than the rating, on privilege, work and responsibility.
Before i belong to the deck rating department. Our job is to maintain the ship in seaworthy. We chip rust, wash the deck, paint the ship and any other maintenance needed in the ship. As you can see in the picture we are called the marines. Paints, oils, and cargoes are in our cover all. This is my life before as Ordinary seaman on board the ship. Yes we know that seaman have a sosyal type when we are in land. We have the latest technology, new jeans, T shirt and any thing that is expensive. In short may pagkaarte kami. We do that kasi mahirap ang life sa barko. We deserve to feel and do the rich men do. But in the real side look at the picture above. See how dirty we are, were just like a marines. Sabi nga ng iba eh sosyal na construction worker kasi we earn US dollars and eat delicious food on board. From Hot and cold weather we just work. We just think all of our love ones just to finish our contract and have a better life in the Philippines. Paki intindi nalang kung masyadong depress and homesick ang relatives nyo on board. Just understand there situation. Far far away from love ones that’s the work of the seaman. Sometimes we are lack of sleep because of operation on board. When we are arriving on port morning or evening, hot and cold weather, holy week or Christmas there are no exemption because the important is the work and to deliver the cargo on time.
This is how we are paid; they pay for our happiness, our time, and our love ones. We take this contract to feed our love one and to have a better life in the Philippines. This is our profession, this is how we live for, to be a seaman but others see us that we are unfaithful and not to be trusted. Every people have different personality. Like a seaman we have different personality, Kung seaman na ba eh di na matino ang pagiisip? manloloko na ba? Seaman has fastest life span on earth. Why? We stayed on ship a year. We only stayed 1 to 2 months on our loves ones. We already take 1 year in our life while aboard the ship. So mabilis talaga ang buhay ng seaman dahil nagtatagal kami sa trabahong barko. We need to be respected too. We are human beings have heart and soul. Now seaman na ang niloloko kami na rin ang naiiwan. I know sasabihin nyo wow pagtangol ba ang seaman. If you will encounter or talk to some seaman, you will be shocked because of there tragedy stories on there wives. Sometimes I ask myself nakakatakot mainlove coz marami sa kabaro kong seaman which an pA officers iniiwan ng asawa. Pati ang ipon ubos walang natira. Di ko naman nilalahat but syempre nakakatakot din sa side naming mga seaman.