AMOSUP has fully vaccinated 24,255 seafarers, both Union members and non-members, as of December 2021 through its partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in the Philippine Government’s National Vaccination Program for Filipino seafarers.
According to AMOSUP President Dr Conrado F Oca, they are committed to continue administering jabs to Filipino seafarers as long as the government and other maritime stakeholders provide the vaccines. “We need to keep on vaccinating our seafarers and give them the necessary booster shots to keep them safe, especially now with the Omicron variant spreading quickly around the world. Their vaccination is also crucial for them to keep their jobs onboard the world’s fleets,” he said.
AMOSUP started vaccinating seafarers on the Day of the Seafarer on 25 June 2020 and has not stopped since. The Union administers the vaccines through its Seamen’s Hospitals in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Davao City.
But aside from seafarers, AMOSUP has also vaccinated seafarers’ dependents and the general population, including pediatrics, in the Union’s provincial branches, as they are tapped by their Local Government Units. Gig Oca Robles Seamen’s Hospital in Davao City, for instance, partnered up with the City Government of Davao to inoculate non-seafarer Davaoeños, including children ages 12 and above.
Last June, MARINA gave AMOSUP and its Seamen’s Hospitals a Plaque of Appreciation for being a reliable partner in vaccinating Filipino seafarers. Gig Oca Robles Seamen’s Hospital also received a Plaque of Appreciation from MARINA Regional Office XI in September, “in recognition of its valuable contribution to the maritime community as host of the COVID-19 vaccination for seafarers.” SF
“Alagang AMOSUP” During the COVID-19 Pandemic. An AMOSUP dependent sent a letter of appreciation to the Seamen’s Hospital Manila and AMOSUP staff. In the letter (pictured), she expressed her “salute and sincerest gratitude” to the frontliners of the Seamen’s Hospital for the “limitless care and compassion” to her husband, a Chief Mate who tested positive for COVID-19 last August. The Chief Mate’s wife said she is beyond grateful for the commitment and unparalleled efforts of the health workers at Seamen’s Hospital in saving her husband’s life. She also thanked the Union for the assistance, “care and moral support that gave him hope and reason to stay strong.” SF
